Sage
by Digitize27
Summary: When Naruto is given a gift considered legendary even in a world where walking on water is a daily occurrence for some, will it lead him on a path towards peace or will the consequences of said gift leave a hole in his heart too large to fill?
1. Fire I

**I still don't own Naruto... shame that ne?**

* * *

**Sage  
Book one: Fire**

_"The Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" - Laozi_

* * *

"Get out of my store you damn hoodlum" The sound of a loud thud followed by pained groans and a few choice curse mumbled under-breath were heard through a street in the bustling Konohagakure no Saito. Of course the young blonde boy from whom these muttered annoyances were uttered in irritation went completely ignored by the rest of the world save for one particularly irate shop-owner who stared at the boy with poorly concealed hatred.

"What's the big idea old man!? I gotta get shuriken and kunai so I can train to be a ninja!" The only reply the whiskered child received was a huff of contempt as the burly shopkeeper turned away.

"As if they would ever let a brat like you become a ninja." He was about to slam the door to his shop closed to emphasise that point but thought better of it, quickly turning to stare heatedly at the blue-eyed visage that was the unwitting centre for so much hatred in the village. "And don't ever let me catch you in my store again or there'll be hell to pay!" With that he finally slammed the door closed, the small door sign flipping to 'open' by the breeze in a twist of irony.

"Yeah, just you see!" The young blonde turned to the rest of the people in the street who continued to go about their day as if this event weren't even happening. "You'll all see! I'm gonna be Hokage one day!" With that the whiskered child took off down the street at a surprising speed for such a small and obviously malnourished boy. After he was gone the residents of the busy shopping district turned to watch him go, some of the older women whispering in hushed voices.

"Did you see him today, disgraceful."

"I don't know what Hokage-sama is thinking allowing someone like that to join the Shinobi academy."

"I know, my little Ami-chan would be in the same year as him; I just know he'll try to corrupt her."

"Well I know for sure I'm warning my boy away from him; that little demon won't destroy the next generation as well."

Of course all these conspiratorial whispers were lost on the running child who was too busy staving off tears percolating at the edge of his vision.

* * *

"Hey Jiji, I need your help..." Glittering blue eyes blinked in surprise at the empty office, framed by the panoramic backdrop of Konoha in the expansive window that lit the room. "Jiji?" The young blonde looked around in mild confusion. It was rare he wasn't able to find his Grandfather-figure in his office, often pouring over various sheets of paper that confused the whiskered youth when he tried to read them over the man's shoulder.

'_He's not here, well I guess he's out doing kick-ass ninja stuff, he is the Hokage after all.' _With that simple piece of seven-year old logic sorting out his confusion the boy quickly went to work. Immediately he headed around the back of the large, ornate oak desk which was piled up with copious stacks of various mission reports and budgeting requests, not that the blonde was at all interested in those. Instead he began to rile through the drawers of the desk; uncaring that he was messing up the painstakingly sorted filing system.

Finally with a whine of annoyance the whiskered blonde threw up his hands in defeat before running them through his messy golden locks.

'_Why doesn't Jiji have any shuriken or kunai!' _Suddenly a mischievous grin that many ANBU had come to take warning of over the years split his lightly-tanned face as he looked over at the large picture of the forth Hokage on the wall. _'Jiji thinks I don't know about his super secret hiding spot' _The grin still splitting his whiskered cheeks the blonde quickly made his way over to the framed photo, pulling it to one side in a smooth motion to reveal a large metal safe.

'_The old man shouldn't underestimate Naruto Uzumaki!' _The small boy pressed his ear to the cold metal, never once noticing the strange arrangement of kanji and symbol that spread out from the point of contact that glowed a welcoming blue before fading back into the safe. He twisted the dial with well-practised hands until the last click echoed through the empty room. With a small cry of success Naruto swung the large metal door open, only to frown with displeasure.

He had seen the old Hokage open the safe many times but he had never seen what was inside; of course his childlike-mind had instantly thought up many cool and mysterious possibilities which were all the more reason he was disappointed.

"A stupid scroll?!" Of course the scroll was about as tall as Naruto was himself but that was besides the point to the young blonde. _'Of all the things for Jiji to keep in an awesome safe like this and he chooses a dumb scroll?' _With a small sigh the blonde tried to pick up the scroll anyway; never noticing the three sets of hands that instinctually tightened over their kunai pouches in the darker corners of the ceiling.

With a grunt of effort Naruto managed to lift the enormous scroll about an inch before he was forced to drop it with a dulled thud. Squinting his eyes in an incredible impression of a fox Naruto frowned at the large scroll before noticing a glint of metal. With a cry of success again the blonde reached into the safe, pulling out his prize. His cry of delight however quickly changed into a look of intense confusion.

"What kind of weird kunai is this?" He turned it over in his small hands, noting the odd three-pronged shape and kanji written on a slip of paper wrapped around the handle. With a sigh he tossed it back into the safe; it was obviously useless with such a weird design; probably some ancient antique his Jiji was keeping as a relic of the past. He swung the door closed with a disappointed sigh before sliding the picture back into what he thought was the correct position. With his brow furrowed the blonde took one last sweeping look around the office before a light bulb seemingly clicked over his head.

His short legs quickly carried him back over to the desk where his hands began to frantically sweep back and forth under the polished wooden surface. Finally a small, almost unnoticeable click graced his small ears as a secret compartment jutted out the side of the desk. This one was much smaller than the safe and its contents confused Naruto even more. All there seemed to be were a small orange book, a strange glass sphere, a few sheets of paper and a normal-looking scroll with a spiral design printed on the front.

"Nothing again! How can Jiji have no kunai in his office?!" Naruto slammed the small compartment back into place with an irritated grunt before walking out of the room, a silent black form dropping down to the floor behind him out of his notice. When the Hokage walked in later on that afternoon with the delegate from Kumo he only found a rather amused dog-masked ANBU waiting for him with interesting news.

* * *

Naruto once again walked back down the slightly less busy streets, the people beginning to retire to their homes as the sun dipped beyond the horizon. A frown marred his face as he thought about his predicament. Tomorrow he was supposed to start at the Shinobi academy; it was a year earlier than most did but the Hokage had assured him he would do fine. The only problem was that all the stores refused to sell him and Shuriken or Kunai.

The small blonde was so lost in his thoughts he wasn't able to react in time when a tall man suddenly appeared in his path. The result was Naruto bouncing back like he had just walked into a wall while the tall dark-haired man just sneered derisively. Naruto looked up, expecting to be reprimanded for being so careless however all he saw was the tell-tale logo of the Konoha police-force and a flash of red eyes before the man walked on, ignoring the blonde like he had never even been there.

Naruto picked himself up off the dusty ground, mumbling to himself about unobservant people before the figurative light bulb once again clicked over his head. A grin snaked its way across his face as he took off on small legs in the direction of the Uchiha compound. _'Those people with the funny red eyes always have kunai pouches! I'm sure if I 'borrow' a few, nobody would notice.' _With that in mind and with a small chuckle to himself, Naruto quickly found himself winding through the streets towards the western districts of Konoha.

A good half an hour later and the whiskered child was staring up at the rather imposing stone wall that separated the Uchiha compound from Konoha-proper. He never really thought about the Uchiha all that much but he found them having a wall around their compound sort of strange. With a small dismissive shrug he quickly began to scale the wall, using handholds and cracks that would normally be too small for any other hand to grip.

Finally with a slightly comical wiggling of his legs he flipped himself over and dropped to the ground on the other side of the wall. He rubbed his head sheepishly as he looked down at the small flower-bed he had crushed from his impromptu landing but quickly pushed it from his mind. It was darker now, the sun having fully set beyond the horizon, and it provided Naruto with great cover as he stealthily, at least to him anyway, made his way through the back garden of whoever's home he had landed in.

Strangely none of the lights in the house were on; it wasn't that late at night; in fact Naruto would usually be preparing himself a cup ramen for dinner about now. To satiate his curiosity he peered in through a low window but sure enough the house seemed deserted. However instead of trying to think why the blonde just grinned, this would make it all the easier to grab some kunai or shuriken. He tried to lift the window but it wouldn't budge an inch; with a small grunt of annoyance Naruto abandoned it and quickly hurried back through the garden, out onto an empty street.

Once again the blonde found it curious that nobody was out; he had never seen a street in Konoha so quiet before midnight. Feeling slightly less sure of himself but staying strong regardless Naruto scampered across the street, ducking into another alley between two homes. Stopping to think for a moment he remembered that all the clan compounds in Konoha were somewhat self-sustaining, that meant there had to be stores to buy things and he hoped that would include ninja supplies.

Ducking his head back out into the moon-lit street he nearly squealed with delight as he spotted exactly what he was looking for. The store was across the street from him, a large sign hanging out front that Naruto couldn't quite make out but the various weapons in the window were visible clear as day, as was the large fan symbol emblazoned across the door. With as much speed as his small body could muster he dashed across to the door, giving it an experimental push only to find it locked.

Frowning he looked around, noting the small flap at the bottom of the door, obviously made for whatever animal the shop-owner kept. He was about to go around to the side alley to find another way in when he heard the sound of approaching footsteps echo through the silent streets. His eyes widened in surprise and fear of being caught Naruto immediately ducked down, pushing himself through the small animal-flap that was obviously never designed for human use. He quickly found himself stuck, his hips just a little too big to get through.

However as the footsteps came closer he found a new burst of energy, scrabbling with all he could and finally managing to push his lithe body into the store. He sat there, leaning against the door, just panting as he calmed himself down. He was beginning to regret coming here, generally people left him alone in Konoha but sometimes the people would be slightly less forgiving; he noticed the people with red-eyes tended to be among that group.

"Check around some more, I was sure I heard something." Naruto's heart nearly stopped beating in his chest as he heard the obviously male voice call out from the street.

"Yeah yeah, I don't see anything; I'm sure you were just hearing things. I swear, you've been too jumpy lately, gotta calm down." Another voice joined the first, sounding much closer that his companion making Naruto break out in a cold sweat.

"Shut up, you know Fugaku-sama's orders; while the meetings are taking place the streets have to be cleared. We don't want anybody to find out what's going on; if there's a spy out here from the Hokage we have to flush them out and deal with them." Even in his fear Naruto managed to be confused by the conversation taking place now painfully close to him. Why would the Hokage need to spy on his own Shinobi? That didn't make sense at all. To satisfy his burning curiosity he ever so slowly poked his head up and looked out the window, only to immediately duck back down as he caught a glimpse of burning red eyes.

"Hey what was that?" The voice sounded suspicious and footsteps began to draw near to the shop he was hiding in.

"What?" The voice sounded somewhat bored, as if he was just eager to go home and relax instead of trudging around outside for threats he was certain wouldn't be there.

"There was something in the shop, I'm sure of it." Naruto gulped in a way he hoped wasn't too loud, even though it seemed deafening in his own ears. He quickly scurried further into the shop, hoping to use the shadows to hide himself. On the way his hand closed over the hilt of a kunai from one of the counters and he instinctively clutched it to his chest as if it would protect him from anything. He pressed himself as close to the wall as he could beneath a counter as he heard the doorknob rattle a few times before the sound of a key clicking in a lock was heard.

Footsteps came next, each slap of a sandal against a wooden floor like a cannon firing right next to the terrified blonde. That next minute was agonising on Naruto's nerves as the Uchiha continued to walk around the small shop, before sighing to himself and walking towards the door. As his hand touched the doorknob to close it the blonde let out a small breath he didn't even realise he had been holding. Unfortunately it wasn't small enough and before the air had fully left his lungs a hand wrapped around his collar, yanking him to his feet so that his eyes were level with a set of angry Sharingan.

"Well what do we have here? A little young to be a spy don't you think?" He sneered across at his companion but Naruto made use of his distraction as lashed out with the kunai clutched to his chest on instinct. With a cry of pain and anger the man dropped Naruto, clutching his arm that was now spraying blood in a long arc. Naruto wasted no time and sprinted out of the store, slipping between the legs of the man's surprised companion in one smooth motion before vaulting to his feet and taking off at a sprint.

The two Uchiha weren't surprised for long and they quickly took off after the tiny child; using their Shinobi training to enhance the muscles in their legs to take off at incredible speed. By the time Naruto was dropping back down on the other side of the wall the two Shinobi were right behind him. Using speed and energy the blonde didn't even realise he had he took off again, staying just ahead of his pursuers.

He did everything in his power to keep the two Uchiha from getting him, sliding through holes in fences that they were too big to get through, using his knowledge of the alleyways to confuse them and even at one point grabbing a peacefully sleeping cat and throwing it at the men. It turned out Tora, as the name on its collar read, didn't appreciate the early wake up and managed to keep the two would-be capturers busy for a surprising amount of time. Long enough at least for the terrified blonde to reach his destination.

It wasn't all that uncommon for Naruto to be chased due to his recent history as somewhat of a prankster. However in those situations he would have pre-planned his escape, usually with a few hidden surprises for his pursuers giving him ample time to make it to the Hokage tower or his home where he knew he was safe. Right now though he had no plan, no tricks to pull out of thin air and there was only one place nearby he would feel safe.

He burst through the flaps in front of Ichiraku's Ramen, surprising the young teenage girl washing dishes behind the counter. She didn't have time to even cry out in surprise before the whiskered blonde had jumped the small counter, using the seats as a springboard. The brown-haired girl just looked down at his quivering form in shock but only had time to do that before two men appeared in front of her, almost making her drop the bowl she was cleaning in fright. Quickly regaining her composure she placed a well-worn smile on her face.

"Welcome to Ichiraku Ramen, I'm Ayame, how can I help you?" One of the men, his Sharingan active and spinning wildly, gave the small shop a once-over before giving a contemptuous snort. He span on his heel and marched out, the scowl on his face only intensifying. The man behind him gave Ayame an apologetic look before hurrying out after his companion. Letting out a small sigh Ayame turned to the still shaking Naruto, a small frown alighting on her usually upbeat and smiling face.

"What did you do now Naruto?" She let out another sigh as the blonde boy gave her a sheepish, if not slightly strained smile as he rubbed the back of his neck, out of habit or nerves she couldn't tell. She finally allowed a soft smile to play across he lips as she offered him a hand which he gratefully took, clinging to her arm like a lifeline. She brought him around to the back of the shop, leading him like a stray dog to the couch in the small living space back there.

"Just stay there Naruto, I'll go make us some tea okay then you can explain whatever silly prank you pulled this time." Naruto gave a small quivering nod earning him a glowing smile as Ayame quickly moved back to the kitchen area.

"T-Thanks Ayame-chan." The girl turned around again at the door, holding onto the frame as she smiled serenely at the little boy she considered a little brother in everything but blood.

"Hey, what are big sisters for ne?" Naruto finally seemed to relax at that, settling more into the couch as Ayame finally moved off to prepare some tea. An older man with greying hair and a fatherly smile seemingly permanently set on his wrinkling features chose that moment to walk down the stairs to see what all the commotion was about.

"Ah Naruto my boy, what brings you to our humble abode?" The small blonde turned at the familiar voice, a small but true smile appearing on his whiskered face at the sight of one of his precious people.

"Teuchi-ojisan!" The man simply chuckled at the exuberant cry as he settled a hand on the young boy's shoulder, his calloused palm easily dwarfing the boy's small frame.

"Now who did you manage to upset this time my boy? I hope it wasn't a Hyuuga, you know how they reacted last time." He let out a throaty chuckle as he fondly remembered Naruto half-crawling into his store, one arm and leg having been at the receiving end of the Hyuuga's fearsome Taijutsu style. It had taken a few hours before the boy could feel anything at all in those limbs. Naruto on the other hand just had an indignant if somewhat sheepish look on his face.

"I didn't do anything! They chased after me!" Teuchi just gave him a knowing smile; honestly he believed the boy's pranks would one day get him in a lot of trouble. Still, he and Ayame would be waiting for him with a warm bowl of ramen and a warm smile at the end of the day; nothing less for their best customer and his surrogate son.

"Of course they did Naruto, and Iwagakure has a solid gold statue of the fourth Hokage." Naruto looked up at him with wide blue eyes, his face looking like a monkey who had been given a truckload of bananas.

"Really?! That's so cool 'ttebayo!" Teuchi just gave a small sigh, he should have known better than to try and use sarcasm on somebody as innocent as Naruto.

"No, you see Naruto-" The blonde boy in question blinked in surprise when Teuchi suddenly cut off before jumping in surprise as he felt some kind of warm liquid spray across his back. He looked around only for his eyes to go wide in shock and terror; Teuchi was on the floor, unmoving, a single kunai sticking out of his blood-soaked throat. Behind him stood the two Uchiha who had been chasing him, a cruel glint in the spinning red eyes of the one in front.

"Orimaru! What are you doing?!" The one behind seemed shocked by his companion's actions, his eyes flickering between the dead man on the floor and his fellow Uchiha.

"Shut it Takaho, there can't be any witnesses. Do you know what will happen if word gets to the Hokage about the coup?" Unfortunately Ayame chose that inopportune moment to walk back into the room, a tray of tea balanced in one hand. Time seemed to slow as she took in the scene in front of her; two men standing over Naruto, kunai poised to strike; her father on the floor, blood still spilling from his throat as his empty eyes stared at her.

Her scream carried out into the night only to cut off a moment later as three kunai found their way into her stomach. She could only stare down at the growing red patch forming on her usually pristine apron, a quizzical expression on her face as if she couldn't quite believe what was happening. It only lasted a moment before she fell to the floor, first to her knees then, with a dulled thump, onto her side.

Silence once again fell on the small room as Naruto stared in shock and horror at where his surrogate sister lay on the floor, unmoving and pale. The Uchiha's arm was still outstretched from throwing the kunai and his friend was looking at him in even more shock. Then, as if a silent command had been given, everybody moved. Naruto scrabbled to his feet at the same moment the lead Uchiha lurched forward to grab him. The small blonde just avoided his grip, sliding across the floor to where Ayame had fallen.

"Ayame-neechan! Please Ayame-neechan!" He tugged fruitlessly at her clothes, willing her with all his might to wake up, to turn over and show that she was okay, that she was still alive. Suddenly rough hands grabbed him by the collar, yanking him around to face Sharingan eyes once again. The black tomoe framed by fields of red spun slowly at first before picking up speed. Soon they were a blur, as hypnotising as they were frightening.

Naruto suddenly felt incredibly drowsy, like a huge portion of energy had been ripped from his body. He couldn't explain it; it was like a battery had been pulled out of him leaving him cold and tired. Out of slowly closing eyes he caught sight of his hands, coloured red by Ayame's blood and suddenly something new welled up in his chest. Anger, a blind, roaring fury that he had never felt before. Fury at these people for taking those people precious to him, rage at the world that could be so cruel to him and most of all anger at himself, at his own inability to protect the people that meant more to him than his own life.

"AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Pain, sudden blinding pain welled up behind his eyes like somebody had lit them on fire. Suddenly he wasn't tired; he had more energy than ever. Everything seemed to slide into perfect focus, colours coming alive like they never had before. Then a pressure seemed to build up inside of him, welling up and begging to be released. Everything flashed for a brief moment in perfect clarity, time frozen as if captured by a picture then... nothing.

* * *

Naruto woke up with a groan; he wasn't sure how long it had been but he definitely wasn't in the hospital of his apartment so it couldn't have been long. In fact when Naruto looked up he could see the night sky; the moon stared back at him blankly. He lifted his head wearily, surprised to find himself in what looked like a large crater in the ground. He didn't want to be here to explain what happened when ninja arrived so he quickly staggered to his feet.

His vision swam for a moment but in a way he was unused to; everything seemed more vivid than it used to, colours were brighter and far more visible than they should be this late at night. What's more a strange glow seemed to permeate the area, as if everything was emitting a strange ethereal light. Confused and disoriented he quickly clambered out of the crater, his hands finding purchase on the recently disturbed earth with surprising ease.

After a few moments of aimless wandering down the road he finally stopped, falling to his knees. He never even noticed when he passed right out the gates; the Chuunin guards strangely absent from their post. He just stared at the ground for a moment, the hard paving stones feeling rough and uncomfortable underneath his knees, not that he particularly cared. First one, then two small drops of liquid pattered onto the ground, staining it a slightly darker colour.

He stayed there for a while, just crying to himself silently as the full force of what happened hit him. At some point the skies above him opened and the rain began to pour, lightly at first but with increasing intensity. It was as if the heavens themselves shared in his lament. The only family he had ever known, the only people he had ever known to truly love and care for him were gone; killed in front of him.

Not only that, but he had killed. There was no mistaking the sight of the two mangled corpses next to the large crater; the police-force symbol emblazoned on ragged strips of cloth. It didn't matter that he had no idea how he did it, he just knew he did. One moment there was a surge of power behind his eyes, the next he was waking up in a nightmarish scene. He hadn't even seen Ayame or Teuchi's bodies and he wasn't sure he wanted to after seeing the state the two Uchiha were in.

After what seemed like an eternity of just kneeling there in the rain Naruto pulled himself back onto two shaking legs. He couldn't go back, not now, not after he had killed two Shinobi of the leaf. He may have been called naïve and sometimes even stupid but he knew the punishment for murder. With a choked sob he nearly fell back to his knees. He was a murderer; what would his Jiji think of him now? What would Ayame or Teuchi think; they were the kindest most caring people he had ever known.

What would it be like for the Hokage to have to sign his death warrant?

He shook his head viciously, he wouldn't let that happen; he would just go away, far away where he couldn't hurt anybody anymore and nobody could hurt him. His mind made up, if not still slightly shaken, Naruto took first one hesitant step before breaking out into a run. He didn't know where he was going and at that moment he didn't particularly care, just that it was away from Konoha, away from what used to be his home.

* * *

Chiriku was having a strange day; that much was certain when his teacup had unexpectedly cracked, staining his robes. After that one of the clocks on the walls had fallen off as he passed and he had found a dead bird on his windowsill. He had never been a particularly superstitious man despite being a monk, he had seen far too much in his time in the Twelve Guardian Ninja for any of that nonsense. Even so it was fairly hard to ignore all the strange omens he was receiving.

And now he was on Guard, dutifully patrolling the grounds of the fire temple. It was normally a rather mundane task, loathed by his fellow monks almost as much as grave-duty. So imagine his surprise when he stumbled across a small blonde-child, looking as if he hadn't eaten in some days, just lying in the middle of a forest clearing. He may have been a trained warrior but he was a monk first so his first inclination was to rush over and see if the child was okay.

He let out a small sigh of relief when he felt a pulse from the boy's wrist and immediately picked him up. His first reaction seemed to be right; the child was terribly malnourished and would require immediate care. He was walking back quickly when the boy began to stir; making soft groaning noises as he subconsciously buried himself further into Chiriku's warm body. He began to open his eyes and when the monk looked down he nearly dropped the boy.

After all it wasn't every day you looked into the rippled pattern of the Rinnegan.

* * *

**A/N: Well here's that Naru/Fuu story I said I was going to write that a lot of you wanted after Yellow and Red makes, For those waiting on an update for Small Changes, sorry about that. I had exams, then I had computer issues (I hate writing on anything but my laptop... I'm weird like that) and now I just seem to have lost my steam on it. I know where it's supposed to go and I know what I should be writing but every time I stare at that blank page it's just like... nope, I got nothing. The journey of a hundred miles really does start with a single step. Anyway, I hope this will get my creative juices flowing again, expect pretty constant updates on this one, hey maybe I'll even match Red and Yellow, who knows? **

**-Digi-**


	2. Fire II

**Does Digi own Naruto, no, why? Because Kishimoto-sempai says so, as well as his army of lawyers**

* * *

**Sage**

_"Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid of standing still" - Proverb_

* * *

"Ahh, I see you're awake, that's good." Naruto's vision was fuzzy at best as he opened his eyes; his head swimming from exhaustion and hunger. He tried to lift his head only to suddenly feel incredibly nauseous; nearly falling off the somewhat Spartan bed he was lying on. "Careful child, you shouldn't be trying to move just yet." A wrinkled but strong hand gently grasped his shoulder, guiding him back down onto the bed. The blonde tilted his head slightly, wincing as a light on a far wall nearly blinded him.

"What's going on? Where am I?" His voice sounded incredibly weak, his throat dry. As if in answer he suddenly found a wooden cup pressed up against his parched lips. Gratefully he sipped at the cooling water, sighing in relief as he felt his thirst somewhat quenched for now. He tried opening his eyes again with limited success, only managing to catch the silhouette of the man sitting beside him.

"You are at the Fire Temple child. Young Chiriku found you while he was patrolling the grounds. It is a sanctuary for priests and monks such as myself to find solace in meditation." Naruto simply blinked in response, finally managing to prop himself up on his elbows and right his vision. The man sitting next to him was old, very old. His face was wrinkled almost to the point where it seemed his eyes were permanently squinted. A small pointed beard jutted from his chin, the hair greyed with a few streaks of white.

Even so his face was kindly and serene, as to be expected from a monk. However the most amazing thing about him was that he seemed to be enshrouded in an aura of pure energy, his body aglow with that same ethereal blue light Naruto had seen ever since the incident which led to his self-imposed exile from Konoha. But where that energy had before seemed unruly and chaotic, around the monk it flowed calmly like water passing through a gentle stream.

"I see you do not know much of the world if my words confuse you." The man's smile took on a slightly more mischievous hue as he talked, his eyes squinting in a way Naruto found eerily reminiscent of his own fox-like look. Suddenly he blinked in surprise as he realised what the man had actually said, the information taking a few moments for his confused mind to handle.

"Hey! Are you calling me stupid!?" His response was a throaty laugh as the man placed a placating hand on Naruto's shoulder. The blonde instinctively shied away from the contact, finding it unpleasant for a reason he couldn't quite place; it was familiar.

"Not at all my lad." The old man looked away for a few moments as if in thought; however it was obvious even to Naruto that it was exaggerated. "Let's just say... ignorant." He gave another kindly smile before his gaze took on a more serious disposition. "Let me have a look at your eyes child, I need to check on something." He leaned forward but Naruto quickly backed away from the man's hands. The old monk merely took his hands back, holding them in a placating manner.

"What are you gonna do to my eyes?!" The man chuckled in what he hoped was a disarming manner, waving his hand dismissively.

"Nothing, nothing, I merely want to take a look at them." Naruto seemed hesitant to comply at first but eventually he leaned forward, opening his eyes for the monk to see them properly.

"Ahh, young Chiriku was correct then." He stayed like that for a few moments, gazing intently into Naruto's eyes as if they were the window to enlightenment.

"What? What is it about my eyes? And how do you see them when you squint so much?" Once again the elderly monk merely chuckled, amused by the boy's brazen question.

"My my, aren't you an energetic one? Tell me, what do you know about those eyes of yours?" Avoiding Naruto's question the man leaned back, gazing at the blonde evenly. Naruto simply looked confused as he blinked a few times, looking around for something reflective.

"Uhh my eyes? They're blue and they let me see stuff. What's it to you?" The wizened monk raised an eyebrow at that as he reached inside the sleeve of his robe, producing a small hand mirror.

"Blue you say? Is that what you see?" Naruto took the small mirror presented to him with caution, before nearly dropping it in surprise. He stared intently into the reflective glass, looking one way, then another just to check what he was seeing was real.

"My eyes! What happened to my eyes? They look all weird!" As Naruto fretted about his new appearance the old monk gazed at him calmly however a few more wrinkles appeared on his brow as he leaned back in.

"Those my boy are what are known as the Rinnegan, a Doujutsu like the Sharingan or Byakugan." The blonde, drawn away from the mirror in his hands by the elderly voice, gazed at the monk in confusion.

"Dojuku? Staringan? Bakulan?" The monk chuckled to himself, not sure what he was thinking trying to explain things such as these to a child. He offered a hand which the blonde seemed at first hesitant to accept but in the end took it anyway.

"Walk with me child, we have a lot to talk about." Naruto gazed up at him, his new steely purple eyes wide with child-like innocence, even though behind that was something else. "What's your name my boy?" They left the small room Naruto had been lying in and the blonde took the opportunity to look around. The corridor they were now in seemed just as bare and Spartan as the room he had awoken in. Seeing this, the old man beside him gave a warm, knowing smile and gestured to the bare walls and floor.

"This is a temple child, we have little use for material possessions or gains. They are distractions from the pursuit of enlightenment." Seeing Naruto's confusion he chuckled, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly in a very un-monk-like manner. "We don't have a lot." Understanding now the boy's eyes widened as he nodded his head.

"Yeah, I didn't have a lot back in Ko-" He trailed off, looking down at the floor with a frown, the hand that wasn't occupied in the monk's clenching into a fist.

"Chukaku." Naruto looked up in surprise, shaken from his thoughts by the warm voice; the monk was looking down at him, his eyes squinted and a comforting smile across his features. "My name is Chukaku, head monk of the Fire temple here in Hi no Kuni. And yours?" Naruto blinked once before coughing and rubbing the back of his head.

"Naruto." Chukaku seemed to draw in a deep breath, looking out a window into the grounds of the temple where a group of monks were running through their kata in perfect synchronisation.

"Ahh, Maelstrom, a good strong name. I feel your future will be filled with great things, if not hardship to get there." Seemingly pulled out of his trance-like state he blinked rapidly, regaining his composure and earlier kindly stance. "But as to only be expected of course, we all must go through hardship to fully appreciate the gift that is life ne?" Naruto just stared at him strangely for a few moments in awkward silence before Chukaku coughed into his hand and began walking down the corridor again.

"Yes well anyway, you are more than welcome to stay here Naruto. We cannot promise you a comfortable life but you will have companionship and peace if you so choose." The blonde just stared up at him in wonder, his eyes wide in amazement.

"You would let me stay here?" Chukaku merely chuckled to himself, not even bothering to turn around.

"Of course, what kind of monk would I be if I turned around a starving child on my doorstep? Come now, we shall go find you some food and a place to sleep. I'm sure Sora will be delighted to finally have somebody his own age to talk to." Suddenly the elderly monk felt Naruto stop, his hand slipping out of his wrinkled grip. He turned back only to see Naruto standing there, his head lowered with his messy hair shadowing his eyes.

"I-I can't." He sniffed loudly and Chukaku could see tears rolling down the boy's cheeks. "I don't deserve it, I'm a monster." The young blonde was shocked though when he suddenly felt himself being embraced. Chukaku had taken him into a warm hug, gently patting the boy's back in a comforting manner.

"Don't say that Naruto, you are not a monster. I refuse to believe any child such as yourself could ever be a monster." He stood up and for a moment Naruto was sad to feel the warmth from the embrace disappear. Quickly he found an old wrinkled palm held out before him, offering for him to take it. "Come now, tell me your story." Naruto stood there for a moment before he wiped the tears off his face and took the outstretched hand.

* * *

"Alright Naruto, what do you know about Chakra?" The small blonde beside the old monk looked up to him with wide, naïve eyes.

"Chatara?" Chukaku merely chuckled as he patted the boy's head, much to the blonde's ire if his scowl was anything to go on. Naruto was now dressed in the more traditional robes worn by the Fire Temple monks, the loose linen clothing tied by a white sash.

"Chakra Naruto. It is the life-blood of the world, the energy that permeates everything and is produced in every living creature on the planet. By meditation and physical exercises one can slowly gain control over their chakra, moulding it and forming it ways that allow us to do many wonderful and otherwise impossible things." He looked down with the same kindly smile only to see Naruto look away disinterestedly. With a raised brow Chukaku lightly bobbed the small blonde on the head with the end of his shakujou.

"Hey! What was that for?!" Chukaku merely put on an innocent smile as he hid the staff behind his body, despite it being taller than he was.

"Whatever do you mean Naruto-kun? Although it is very poor manners to not pay attention when somebody is speaking to you." The young blonde merely scowled at the elderly man, rubbing his head lightly where he had been hit. However when it looked like he would retort angrily Chukaku merely twitched the hand holding his staff and Naruto backed off.

"Sorry, but this Chakra doesn't sound all that amazing." Once again a solitary eyebrow rose on Chukaku's forehead as he began to walk towards a nearby wall, his shakujou jingling with each step.

"Oh no? You say you come from Konoha right?" Naruto didn't answer but Chukaku caught his tensed posture out of the corner of his eye. "That's a ninja village." At the mention of Shinobi the old monk could tell he now had Naruto's full attention. "Chakra is what allows ninja to perform their various techniques and Jutsu." If possible at the mention of Jutsu Naruto became even more attentive.

"Jutsu? Like fire balls and those cool exploding tags." Chukaku gave a small smile and a curt nod which only widened Naruto's eyes.

"Correct. You see by balancing and combining the physical and spiritual energies in one's body you form Chakra which can then be controlled through the use of hand-signs to mould in the way the technique requires." He stopped, standing next to one of the imposing walls of the temple, higher than most of the buildings it protected. "However that is not the end of it. Those skilled enough do not even require hand seals and can mould Chakra through sheer concentration and focus." Naruto was practically bouncing on his feet at this point so Chukaku decided to hammer the point home.

"In fact I believe one of the earliest techniques taught to young ninja is the surface-clinging exercise, like so." With that the old monk kept walking, putting first one foot, then another on the wall until he was high above Naruto who could only stare up with amazement in his eyes. "Using Chakra to stick to a surface, no matter what it is." He walked back down at a leisurely pace, making it seem like he wasn't defying gravity but instead taking a calm stroll.

"Of course there are other ways to mould Chakra, you even mentioned one." At that the blonde gained a confused expression which made Chukaku chuckle lightly. "Those exploding tags, they work slightly differently. Instead of moulding Chakra inside the body you apply it to special seals that mould it for you in whatever medium you choose, usually ink. This is a branch of the ninja arts known as Fuinjutsu. It has as many, if not more uses than it's more traditional counterparts." At this point Naruto seemed to have calmed slightly, just allowing himself to absorb all the information he had been given.

"So uh, what does chakra look like?" Chukaku gazed at Naruto oddly for a few minutes before quietly chuckling to himself, irritating the young blonde. "Hey! It's not like it's a dumb question or anything!" The elderly monk quickly quietened down, patting Naruto's back fondly as he sighed.

"No no of course not, in fact it is an excellent question, but probably one I should be asking you all things considered." Naruto just looked up at him and in a manner as eloquent as ever he simply said.

"Huh?" This time Chukaku suppressed his chuckled as he knelt down on creaking knees to look Naruto in the eye.

"You my boy are the one with the Doujutsu, those rare eyes that allow humanity a glimpse at the unseen." He looked around, finally settling his gaze on a nearby pebble which he picked up. "What do you see here?" Naruto just blinked at the small rock, unsure if it was a trick question or not.

"A pebble?" Chukaku just nodded with an expectant gaze.

"Is that all you see?" Naruto just nodded with a furrowed brow.

"Yeah, why? Is it some kind of sacred stone or something?" Chukaku laughed out loud at that as he absently tossed the stone over his shoulder.

"Of course not my boy, it's just a pebble. Now look at me, what do you see?" Again Naruto seemed puzzled by the question as he gazed at the old monk intently.

"I see you?" Chukaku gave a sagely smile as he stood up to his full, if rather unimpressive full height.

"But is that all you see?" Naruto blinked at that, frowning as he peered at the old monk.

"Well you have this weird blue outline like you're glowing." Finally Chukaku grinned, patting the small boy on the shoulder as he turned to move on further into the temple.

"Well then there's your answer. What you are seeing, or at least I can only assume, is Chakra; my Chakra to be specific. You could not see it in the pebble because it is not alive so it cannot produce its own energy like plants or animals can." At this Naruto frowned, falling into step behind the wizened monk.

"But the pebble had an outline too." Chukaku stopped at that, blinking once before turning back to look at Naruto. "It was kind of green but it was weird, like I couldn't quite see all of it, like a puzzle piece without the rest of the puzzle." He groaned at that, one hand going up to pull at his hair in aggravation. "I don't know how to explain it but it's like that." Chukaku merely patted him gently on the shoulder, a serene expression on his face.

"It's alright Naruto; some people have spent their entire lives trying to unravel the mysteries of Chakra and the many forms it comes in. Few succeed and fewer still are willing to divulge that information. In fact the first, and last, was the very same man whose eyes you share." Naruto looked up in surprise at hearing there was somebody else with eyes like him.

"Who?" Chukaku gave him a mysterious smile as he pushed open a door into a large room, filled with shelves stacked to the brim with various books and scrolls. The old monk walked over to one of the older shelves in the room, some of the corners having gathered many cobwebs. He tutted for a few moments as he looked over the shelves before picking out a book and blowing the fine layer of dust that had accumulated. He opened it, skimming through the pages until he came across what he was looking for.

"This man, the Sage of the Six Paths." He dropped the book onto the desk, earning him a few stern looks from the other monks trying to read as well as a small cloud of dust which had Naruto coughing. When his eyes finally stopped watering he looked down at the page the book was opened to. It was an image of a man, or at least the silhouette of a man, standing before an enormous beast with ten tails and a single red eye filled with nine tomoe in concentric circles. A sword was in one hand and a shakujou in the other, held up as if warding the beast off. It seemed to be a rubbing of a wood carving as there were no photos from that era.

"Who was he?" Chukaku looked down at the image of the man said to be the founder of Shinobi, the first man to both discover and unravel the mystery of Chakra.

"Well by your eyes I suspect your ancestor, distantly of course. He was said to have lived over a thousand years ago after all." Chukaku flipped the page revealing another image this time of a rather crudely drawn but none-the-less shockingly similar image of a pair of Rinnegan eyes. Naruto traced the circles radiating out from the pupil with awe in his eyes, even as his other hand lifted up near his own eyes.

"What was he like?" Chukaku chuckled lightly at that; he could remember standing before this very book in one of his countless sessions with his own master, the previous head monk, asking that very same question so he knew just what to say.

"Unfortunately not much is known about him. History doesn't stretch that far back as far as written records go. From what we know he seemed to be some kind of wandering holy man, spreading his teachings about Chakra and peace. Eventually he battled a great evil, banishing it from the world forever." Naruto thought back to the enormous creature from the first image and shuddered, he couldn't imagine fighting something like that, and it was only a picture! "He was also said to have created the moon." Naruto spun around, looking up at the older man with incredulity to which the monk just chuckled. "But I don't put too much stock in that particular legend." Naruto returned to slowly tracing the image of the Rinnegan, awe in his eyes.

"He must have been powerful." Chukaku just nodded at his side, an intense look on his wizened features as his gaze drifted from the book to Naruto himself.

"You know they say his power came from his eyes, the eyes you now have." Naruto turned back to him, blinking in confusion as Chukaku placed a warm and firm hand on his shoulder. "You may have been given a powerful gift, even if the circumstances were terrible. Those eyes give you unrivalled potential you know and with that potential comes great responsibility, I just hope you'll remember that when you have power one day." Naruto stared at him for a moment with wide eyes before nodding resolutely, fire in his eyes.

"Good, I see great things in your future Naruto-kun. Now come, there's somebody I want you to meet."

* * *

"Chiriku-sempai why are we out here?" The small blonde was sitting in the middle of the largest training ground in the temple. It was towards the back and surrounded by high stone walls with the same seals that protected the main door of the temple. It was used by monks seeking to train new techniques that they hadn't fully mastered yet where they wouldn't pose a threat to the rest of the temple.

"For safety reasons Naruto, we don't want anybody getting hurt when we try this." Naruto just groaned as he rocked back and forth, the large stone slabs that made up the floor were very uncomfortable.

"Try what? You keep acting all mysterious sempai." Chiriku finally gave a satisfied nod as he looked over three seals he had been setting up on the wall of the training ground. It mirrored the three others on all the other walls; Chakra suppression seals. The bald monk honestly didn't believe that such a small boy could pose that much danger but his master had told him to take extra precautions so that is what he was doing.

"Okay, we're all ready to start now Naruto, are you ready?" Chiriku turned to face his latest student; the two had been properly introduced shortly after Naruto and Chukaku's talk in the library. Naruto had thanked him for saving him and quickly the two developed a teacher-student type relationship. It was refreshing for the warrior monk to have a new inquisitive mind to ask him questions.

"Ready for what sempai?" The bald monk merely smiled as he walked back over, sitting down in front of Naruto in a cross-legged position.

"After your..." Chiriku frowned as he tried to think of the best way to say this to a child "...incident in Konoha." He winced as he caught the sudden tension in Naruto's posture but continued anyway. He thought it would be better for Naruto to confront his past instead of trying to ignore it. "You said you awoke in a crater. Master Chukaku believes this may be one of the inherent powers of your Rinnegan. We want to find out exactly what triggers this so we can replicate and in time with training and meditation, control it." Naruto seemed less sure but nonetheless nodded, if hesitantly.

"Alright, now I'm going to have to ask you to remember that night. Remember just what you saw, how it felt, everything." Naruto blinked in surprise before looking down, his hair overshadowing his eyes momentarily. That was the problem, he couldn't forget; he remembered every detail of that night like it was forever burned into his memory; that, and everything after it. The feel of Ayame's blood on his hands, the intense fear and self loathing as he stared up at those spinning red eyes, the coppery tang in the air and the echoes of Ayame's scream still ringing through the room.

Chiriku became alarmed as he felt an enormous amount of Chakra build up inside Naruto. It was far more than a boy of his age should have been able to mould, heck it was big for a Chuunin level ninja. He backed away from the boy when he noticed tears begin to stream down his face, the pressure building up inside him growing stronger as the chakra was diverted to his eyes in one massive burst. Words that weren't his own suddenly appeared in Naruto's mind, it felt like saying them was the most natural thing in the world, instinctual almost.

"SHINRA TENSEI!"

Just like that the room exploded.

When the smoke finally began to die down and Naruto stopped coughing he once again found himself in a large crater, this time slightly shallower thanks to the seals suppressing a great deal of the damage. Even so the effects of whatever he did were immense; cracks had appeared in the slabs all around the crater, in some cases snaking out to the walls. Now that he could actually observe the after-effects he could see it wasn't a perfectly circular crater, most of the damage was in front of him making it more egg shaped. He blinked suddenly as he realised something was wrong.

"Chiriku-sempai?" Naruto glanced around, not spotting the bald monk anywhere, at least until the rest of the dust in the room settled. "CHIRIKU-SEMPAI!" The blonde dashed to his feet, rushing over to Chiriku's still form propped up against a wall. His robes were tattered and in places torn while it looked like he himself had been thrown against a very hard rock, repeatedly. Naruto just stood there in front of him, his eyes wide and watering.

He collapsed bonelessly to his knees his fingers clutching the fabric of the older monk's robes tightly as his body was wracked by intense sobs. Suddenly he felt the body beneath him move as Chiriku took in a shuddering breath. The trained mink looked up into the mop of blonde hair trying to bury itself into his chest before chuckling lightly, only to wince in pain as his chest burned.

"Well the first thing we need to do is work on meditation. Can't have you doing this to every training ground we have ne?" The small blonde looked up, tears in his eyes and staining his whiskered cheeks before he wrapped his tiny arms around Chiriku as far as he could. The monk winced at the pressure but just resigned himself to rubbing comforting circles on the boy's back as he looked around the training field.

The damage was immense, even with the suppressing seals that he knew for a fact could withstand an A-ranked fire Jutsu without so much as a scorch mark. Yet here this seven year old body had managed to put a crater in it about a foot deep with just a simple burst of chakra; at least that was what it had seemed like. It was certainly no wind Jutsu; Chiriku had felt his share of those sparring against Asuma. He had never seen anything quite like it before and that said a lot in his opinion.

'_Such power for one so young, master Chukaku was right about you Naruto, you will grow up to be strong.' _The bald monk smiled at the thought even as another streak of pain flared in his chest _'And I'll be there to guide you along the way for as long as I can.'_

* * *

Chukaku looked up from his meditation as he heard a knocking on his fusuma, soon after Naruto meekly shuffled into the room, his hair hanging over his eyes as he managed to find something incredibly interesting about his feet.

"Yes Naruto-kun, what can I do for you?" The boy looked up for a moment, catching the older man's gaze for a split second before looking away. In that moment Chukaku saw fear, regret, a whole multitude of emotions running across those rippled purple eyes.

"I-I don't think I can do it." Chukaku stood up at this, walking over to the now trembling boy.

"Do what Naruto?" He placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder only for the boy to pull away, wrenching himself out of the firm grip.

"Everything! This training! Learning to control this power!" He looked up now and it was painfully obvious the boy had been crying; his eyes were reddened and there were still streaks running down his cheeks from the tears he had shed. "Please Master Chukaku, I don't want to hurt people anymore." Chukaku sighed at that, kneeling down on his old knees so he could look at Naruto from his level.

"Naruto, you wanted to be a Shinobi didn't you?" The blonde looked up at that, blinking in confusion despite the new tears already welling up in his eyes. "Did you know that as a Shinobi you would have been asked to kill people?" Chukaku almost flinched as he saw the horrified look on the boy's face, he hated to see such innocence lost but he knew Naruto would only torment himself further if he didn't do something now.

"No ninja is without blood on their hands, not even the Hokage." Chukaku shook his head at that "Especially not the Hokage." Naruto had stopped shaking now, looking at the elderly monk with a look caught between his sorrow and slight interest. "But do you know what separates most Shinobi from common thieves and murderers?" Naruto blinked once, somehow unable to tear his gaze away from Chukaku's as he slowly shook his head.

"They know what they fight for, be it for the home they spent so long protecting, or the bonds they made with the people they care about in order to protect them." The elderly monk sighed, even he had at one point fought and killed. "You know Naruto, after some men experience war and bloodshed they forever vow never to harm anybody ever again, to shy away from all conflict." His eyes hardened at that as he almost lost himself to a lifetime of nostalgia and regret. "Those people are cowards." Naruto's eyes widened at that, his shuddering had stopped and the tears were no longer flowing. Seemingly remembering what he was doing, Chukaku looked back around, a warm expression back on his face.

"You see Naruto, peace is not about avoiding fights, it's about choosing them." Naruto blinked in an uncomprehending manner as Chukaku once again grasped him firmly on the shoulder; he didn't shy away from the touch this time.

"Choosing them?" The head monk nodded once, a rather far-off look in his eye before he shook it off.

"You have a great power at your disposal and with patience and training you can master it, becoming strong, very strong. But it is what you do with that strength that will define what kind of person you will become. Knowing how and when to use that power is what matters. The quest is finding what exactly you are willing to fight for, and that is a journey every human will embark on at some point in their lives." Chukaku left it at that as the room descended into a calm but not uncomfortable silence. Finally the small blonde seemed to find some resolution deep inside himself and nodded firmly, spurred on by the kindly monk's words.

"I think I understand now, thank you master." Chukaku just gave a small serene smile as he watched the blonde quietly exit his room, a thoughtful expression that had no place on any child's face firmly set into his features. Chukaku sighed as he got back up and walked back to the spot he was in before to resume his meditation. Before he did though he took one last look at the retreating shadow he could see through the fusama.

'_I hope so Naruto-kun, for your sake.'_


	3. Fire III

**Umm Digi doesn't own N-Naruto-kun or umm anything else, t-they're the property of K-Kishimoto-sama**

* * *

**Sage**

_"Every artist was first an amateur" - Ralph Emerson_

* * *

"Dammit Naruto! Stop moving around so much!" The sound of limbs slicing through air and the occasional grunt of exertion echoed through the small training room on the eastern edge of the Fire Temple as two combatants constantly moved back and forth in a graceful dance of punches and kicks.

"Maybe you just need to move faster Sora." A grinning blonde ducked under another high kick before gracefully sliding through his opponent's legs. Before he could remove the other combatant's base though the other boy jumped up, aiming for a heavy axe kick. At the last moment though he suddenly found himself falling faster than he expected, throwing him off balance and leading to him falling in a crumpled heap on the ground.

"That's another point to me Sora." The dark blue-haired boy looked up with a pained groan at the hand outstretched in front of him before taking it with a few mumbled curses. "How many does that make now? Five to two?" Sora scowled at the grinning blonde before pushing the hand away in irritation.

"I would have had you that time if you hadn't used your gravity manipulation. It's cheating." Naruto just chuckled as he patted his friend on the back.

"All's fair in love and war as Chiriku-sempai says." Sora just scoffed as a smile finally broke out on his face.

"Yeah, and what would Chiriku-sempai know about love?" At that both boys burst out laughing, the joyous sound bouncing around the small training area.

"Oh?" At the sound of a third voice both boy's immediately froze before shakily turning their heads to look into the amused expression of the very man they had been talking about. "And what _does _Chiriku-sempai know about love?" Outside two monks were passing by the training ground when they heard two loud gulps followed swiftly by two even louder thumps. The monks simply looked at each other once before sighing and continuing on with the same thought.

'_Naruto and Sora again.'_

"Sorry Chiriku-sempai." Back inside the training ground Sora and Naruto were rubbing their aching heads while Chiriku was the picture of serene innocence, despite the shakujou he was subtly resealing into a pouch on his hip.

"Now now boys, final bell is about to ring, we don't want you all sweaty before you go to bed, you know how Chigasu would feel about that." Both boys nodded immediately with slight fear in their eyes. They knew exactly how the old grumpy keeper of the temple would feel about that and the mere thought had them rubbing various phantom pains.

"Alright Chiriku-sempai, but first I gotta show you something!" The older monk simply raised an eyebrow at the excited blonde, a year living in the temple really hadn't done all that much to calm his energetic spirit.

"Would this _thing _happen to be a certain technique Master Chukaku has forbidden you from using in any of the indoor training grounds?" The blonde smiled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck, glaring at Sora as the other boy chuckled behind his hand. He was remembering the other times Naruto had supposedly 'mastered' the more powerful techniques at his disposal.

"No no come on Chiriku-sempai I swear I have it this time. I know what I was doing wrong!" The older monk stared at the whiskered child for a few moments as Naruto bravely met his gaze before sighing and gesturing outside.

"Fine, but not inside, we don't need a repeat of last time." As if to stress his point he looked across the open field they were entering to a large hole in the wall on the far side. The result of Naruto's latest attempt at his technique.

"Not gonna happen, just watch me!" With an excited cry Naruto dashed across the fields to face one of the pre-prepared training dummies before adopting a standard fighting stance. Sora dropped to the ground, getting comfy for something he was sure was going to be hilarious while Chiriku watched more intently. Naruto relaxed himself, concentrating on the pool of energy deep inside himself, drawing it out and directing it through his body. He allowed it to build up inside him but controlled it from becoming too strong; he had learned the consequences of that the hard way.

Finally he pushed the chakra to his eyes and hand at the same time, simultaneously bringing one arm up so his palm faced outwards in one smooth motion.

"Shinra Tensei!" Sora and Chiriku could only watch on amazed as the training dummy was summarily obliterated by the veritable wall of gravitational forces slamming into it. It soared across the field, flying out of sight over the roof of the next building over, raining stuffing and bits of hay down as it went. Unfortunately that wasn't the only thing that went flying.

"Wooaaah!" Almost as fast as the training dummy was blasted away, Naruto was sent flying back in the opposite direction. However he came to a much quicker stop, embedded in a wall a few feet away. "Urrrgghhh!" Like a marionette with its strings cut he flopped to the ground, leaving a surprisingly accurate imprint of his body in the wooden wall. A few seconds of silence passed before Sora burst out into an uncontrollable fit of laughter, even Chiriku had to stifle a few chuckles before walking over and helping his student up from the ground.

"I'm impressed Naruto, you finally managed to direct the force of the technique, although you might need to work on counteracting that force on yourself." Naruto just nodded limply, his eyes looking slightly distant as he gazed up at the three sets of his sempai looking down at him. Soon after Sora came over and gave Naruto a shoulder to lean on, but not before he finished his laughing fit. Even so, while he found his friend's misfortune as funny as any good friend would, he had to be impressed by the sheer power behind the attack; he certainly wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of it.

"Alright Chiriku-sempai, I'll help Naruto to his room. We were going to have another spar but I don't think he's in that condition right now." Chiriku just nodded once before turning and retiring to his own quarters, even as the evening bell began to toll around the temple. Sora hefted Naruto up so that his arm was slung around his friend's shoulders and began walking in the direction of the living quarters.

"You're always doing this you know." His only response from the blonde was a groan and a small chuckle which made the monk-in-training smile. "You're always trying to do the impossible." Again he didn't get much of a response from his injured friend. "Even so, you'll go ahead and try it over and over again until you get it right won't you." He looked down and found Naruto grinning weakly up at him, a knowing glint in his squinted eyes.

"And then you'll try and one-up me." Sora chuckled at that but didn't deny Naruto's statement.

"What can I say? You're a bad influence on me. And stop doing that, you look like Master Chukaku when you narrow your eyes." Naruto just nodded wearily before allowing his head to droop again. By now they had reached Naruto's room and with a bit of manoeuvring on Sora's part he managed to slide open the fusuma and lie Naruto down on his futon. "Get some rest and we'll see tomorrow how the score turns out." He looked around when he got no reply but saw that Naruto was already asleep. Sora just chuckled as he slipped out of the room quietly; his friend was a real idiot sometimes.

* * *

"_Sora, this is Naruto, he'll be staying at the temple with us for the foreseeable future and I want you to show him around the temple." Blonde hair peeked out nervously from behind Chukaku's robes catching the young trainee monk's attention._

"_Umm Ohayo, I'm Naruto." The blue-haired youth just stared at the boy for a few moments before tentatively holding out his own hand as they shook. It was an obviously awkward scene, neither child having had good experiences with people their own age, or in Sora's case, no experience period._

"_Good, I know you two will become the best of friends, now I have some paperwork to do so run along." With that the elderly monk turned on a heel and calmly trotted away from the scene._

"_So uh, what's it like being a monk?" Sora just blinked at the whiskered boy before looking away at a wall._

"_I uhh don't really know, I've always lived here so I don't know much else but it's uhh... nice?" Naruto nodded at that with a small smile as his posture became less tensed._

"_So what do you do for fun?" Sora blinked again, finding this very different to talking with the monks who were always very reserved and self-assured._

"_Well we have breakfast in the morning followed by meditation and training, then lunch then..." Naruto waved his hands in front of him, cutting the boy off._

"_No no I mean like for fun! In your spare time and stuff! When you're not training or anything!" Sora frowned as he looked at Naruto, this was a surreal experience for the boy, that was for sure._

"_Well the library is always available for recreational reading." Naruto blinked once before hanging his head down, a metaphorical cloud suddenly appearing over his head._

"_That sounds so booooring!" Sora suddenly gained a tick mark over his eye as he slammed Naruto over the head with his covered arm, his eye twitching in irritation._

"_The monk's pursuit of enlightenment is not boring! It's a spiritual journey into ones soul and as such-" Sora trailed off as he saw Naruto miming along to his words with his hand with a decidedly unimpressed look on his face._

"_Like I said, boring." The blonde flopped to the ground, adopting an incredibly poor attempt at a meditative pose. "I mean what's the big deal with sitting like this anyway?" Sora's eye began to twitch again, suddenly regretting getting lumped with this obvious idiot. Suddenly though a superior smirk appeared over his face as he too got onto the floor, adopting the correct pose for meditation with his palms facing up, his hands in loose fists and his knuckles touching._

"_Well Chiriku-sempai says that it takes the utmost skill an concentration to properly meditate, obviously such things are beyond you." At that Naruto looked up in annoyance, his own tick developing over one eye._

"_Oh yeah? I bet it's not so hard, I could meditate way better than you could." He looked over the position Sora was in and quickly adjusted his own posture to match. If Sora hadn't been so annoyed with the blonde he might have been impressed at Naruto's first attempt. Instead he simply raised a haughty eyebrow in mild contempt._

"_Amateur." When he didn't get any response he looked up to see Naruto's head turned away, his eyes closed in a mockery of meditation. It was obviously an exaggerated way of ignoring Sora. The blonde quickly found a fist buried in his skull and an angry Sora above him._

"_Hey! Don't ignore me!"From a nearby window Chukaku watched the whole scene with his mouth hidden by his sleeve. A mild chuckle escaped his lips as he observed the two boys interaction. He knew it was a good idea to introduce the two, for the other monk's amusement if nothing else._

* * *

Chukaku looked up from his desk with a fond, nostalgic smile as he thought back on the last year since Naruto had joined the temple. It was quickly marred with a frown however as he once again picked up the piece of paper he had been reading. He sighed as he placed it to one side, quickly drafting up the same response he had written every time he received a letter like this. Finishing with a flurry as he signed his name he sealed it into an envelope ready to give to the passing mail-nin the next morning.

He sighed again as his gaze drifted over to the seal on the envelope the message had come from, the seal of the Hokage. He would change the wording every time, sometimes offering things in return but the gist was always the same; bring Naruto back to Konoha. In the same manner his answer never changed from a firm and resounding 'no'. As long as Naruto was under the roof of the Fire Temple Chukaku would see he never had to return to his old home.

The young blonde had told him about his life there after some coaxing and the elderly monk was appalled. He had worked out from the boy's treatment and the village's vehement requests for him to be returned just what he was as well as from his appearance just who he was, although it was speculation until he could find evidence. Even so he found the village's blatant hatred of a child horrific, especially considering the burden that was already on the poor boy's shoulders.

What made it all the better was that he had the power, the authority, and the influence to keep Naruto here, whether the Hokage or anybody else had anything to say about it or not. The Fire Temple was firmly under his control as head monk and in turn he reported directly to the Fire Daimyo, nobody else. He had known the man since he was just a baby in his mother's arms and had always made sure to be in his favour. What's more the man knew better than to upset the person who controlled his protection detail, the Twelve Guardian Shinobi.

Of course it was always Naruto's decision, if the boy ever actually wanted to return to his old home Chukaku would not stop him. He would of course be sad to see the boy leave; the temple had been a much brighter place since the boy was introduced. However he had never seen any indication Naruto wanted to leave, in fact the boy seemed incredibly happy here, like he had found a smile long since thought forgotten.

Chukaku was suddenly broken from his musings as he heard a loud commotion somewhere outside. He moved to the window, a troubled frown creasing his already wrinkled brow as he spotted what looked like a fire on the other side of the temple. However it was when he saw the first flicker of red and felt a malevolent aura wash over the area that he immediately rushed from the room.

* * *

Naruto's short-lived sleep was troubled, filled with orange fur and blood red eyes before he awoke with a start. Cold sweat covered his body making his robes stick to his skin uncomfortably as he panted. He took a deep breath before raising himself onto his elbows. Glancing over at the clock on his wall he noted it had only been about half an hour since Sora had brought him to his room. More than that though there was a presence in the air, weighing down on him like an invisible weight.

Getting to his feet he was shocked to see flames out his window; his eyes widened even as his feet carried him out of his room and towards the fire. He got there to see it was one of the smaller temple buildings, the walls and roof were up in flames. The orange and yellow tendrils of fire were licking at the sky as smoke billowed out from the building in choking sheets. There was a gathering of monks, some attempting to douse the flames with buckets and water Ninjutsu while others seemed to crowd around something else.

He took a few hesitant steps toward the second group until he felt a familiar hand grip his shoulder.

"No Naruto, you have to stay away, it's dangerous." He looked up to see Chukaku, his normally serene features marred by worry and concern. Suddenly a monk was tossed out of the group like a ragdoll, landing not far from them. It distracted Chukaku long enough for Naruto to break out of his grip and rush forward. He didn't want to be treated like a child, this was his home now and he would protect it with his life if he had to.

Ignoring Chukaku's desperate cries Naruto barged his way past two monks only to freeze in surprise at what he saw. Sora stood at the centre of a ring of monks, except it wasn't the Sora Naruto had known for the past year. He was hunched over, a crazed expression in his eyes as an evil grin lifted the corners of his mouth. The arm that he usually kept covered was a mottled red, spiky protrusions jutting out at random and the fingers had become more like claws. Worst of all his entire body was enshrouded by a cloak of intense red chakra, bubbling like it was alive; three tails slowly swayed back and forth behind him.

"SORA!" Naruto's cries only served to draw the boy's attention to him, his now red and slitted eyes locking firmly on the blonde. However there was no recognition there, only an insane bloodthirsty glee, like a predator spotting its next meal. Naruto took a step back as he saw the pure malice behind the boy's eyes, it wasn't Sora, it just couldn't be.

"Naruto stop!" The blonde just barely heard Chiriku's voice along with a few others, no doubt monks concerned with his safety. He ignored them anyway, rushing forward towards the creature his friend had become. He didn't make it within three metres of him before a malicious red tail swatted him away from the side, moving faster than he could even follow. He landed a few metres away, his clothing ripped and torn in a few places and he knew there were a few spots that would bruise the following morning.

Even so he picked himself up on shaking legs, a desperate look in his eye as he looked at his friend. Sora had turned away from him, obviously having lost interest in the prey that put up barely any fight. Naruto's features set into a determined mask as he watched another monk get batted away by those tails. He set his feet into a solid stance, already drawing up the chakra from inside of him and directing it to both his eyes and his hands. Discreetly he placed his other hand behind him pointing in the opposite direction as he finally released the pent up chakra.

"Banshou Ten'in!" Naruto immediately felt the pull on his body like gravity had been temporarily been inverted but the hand he had behind him kept him glued in place. Sora on the other hand was in no such luck as he suddenly found himself flying through the air towards Naruto, unable to react in time to do anything about it. The blonde had already pulled his hand into a fist, ready to knock some sense into his friend however at the last moment it unfurled.

The possessed Sora blinked in confusion as he suddenly found himself wrapped up in an iron-like grip. Naruto's hands were firmly wrapped around his friend's back, his chin over one shoulder. The tails behind him waved uncertainly for a moment, as lost as the one guiding them.

"Please Sora, I don't understand what is going on but please stop this." A solitary tear rolled down Naruto's cheek, evaporating as it touched the cloak of pure chakra covering Sora. "Just stop this, let me help you." He hugged tighter, ignoring the pain as the malevolent chakra began to burn his skin and rip away at his already tattered clothing. "STOP IT!" Suddenly Sora seemed to freeze, the tails stopping in mid-sway as if caught in some invisible giant's hand.

Ever so slowly the long red tails began to shrink back into the cloak, even as the cloak itself slowly began to leak off of Sora's body. The chakra seemed to twitch in midair before slowly being absorbed into Naruto. As it did so the burns and bruises across Naruto's body began to heal so fast the monks around them could actually see it happening. Finally when the entire cloak had disappeared and Sora's features had returned to normal the two boys collapsed to the ground, Naruto still clutching Sora tightly to him.

Chiriku and Chukaku immediately rushed over to see if they were okay; aside from Sora's intense chakra exhaustion and a few burns across his skin they were perfectly fine, just unconscious. Chukaku let out a long sigh of relief as he looked down at the two before turning to the assembled monks. He was simply glad there had been no casualties, however he would still have to explain that to the rest of the monks tomorrow and he knew that would be exhausting. Not to mention Naruto was going to be asking questions too and Chukaku was sure he would be hard-pressed to answer them.

"Alright, start putting out those fires, we'll begin repairing the damages tomorrow, for now get some rest." As soon as the murmuring dies down and the monks began to disperse he took another look at the two boys on the ground.

'_How can two boys so young bear such a heavy burden?'_

* * *

_Drip_

Naruto felt strangely at peace, the air was still but not humid or uncomfortable.

_Drip_

The ground beneath him, while hard, was not inherently painful, he had grown used to relatively hard bedding anyway.

_Drip_

There were no aches very his body like he had expected there to be.

_Drip_

He gently moved a hand up his body, feeling for where he knew he had been burned by that foul chakra.

_Drip_

Strangely all he felt was his normal smooth skin, not even any bandages.

_Drip_

Likewise his clothing seemed fresh, there was no noticeable damage.

_Drip_

Infact-

_Drip_

"SHUT UP!" Naruto blinked as his voice echoed out through... wherever he was, it was certainly not the temple that was for sure. He got to his feet, once again marvelling that he didn't feel at all hurt and his skin was unblemished. He looked around, his steely purple eyes taking in his strange surroundings with a frown. As far as he could tell it seemed to be the basement level of some kind of industrial building. He had found himself in one once when he was exploring in Konoha, except the one he found himself in was much cleaner.

Pipes ran the length of the ceiling, disappearing off into the darkness in both directions of the seemingly endless corridor. There were many of them but on in particular caught his eye as it was much larger than the rest, it was also the only one that was leaking; obviously the cause of the irritating dripping. Sure enough he watched as a single drop of some foul red liquid gathered at the bottom of the pipe into a droplet before falling to the floor.

Whatever it was Naruto knew better than to touch it; when it made contact with the floor it sizzled for a moment, eating away at the ground. However more amazingly the floor seemed to immediately repair itself, the small hole disappearing like it had never been there. He watched this repeat three times before tearing his gaze away; it was oddly hypnotic. Having nothing better to do Naruto began to walk down the corridor, it didn't seem to matter which way he took; they looked exactly the same.

Every so often he would reach another leak in the pipe, the only indicator he was actually moving at all. Finally though he reached a fork, he blinked, looking down both identical passageways before shrugging and heading right. After maybe another five minutes of walking without any indication he was getting anywhere Naruto finally stopped. He liked to imagine that a year in a temple had somewhat calmed him and given him some semblance of patience, however the truth was-

"SHINRA TENSEI!" The area around Naruto erupted in an explosion of pure gravitational forces, his hands outstretched to either side to evenly distribute the blast. However when he opened his eyes he nearly fell to his knees in shock and despair, the walls were completely unharmed. There wasn't even a single indication his technique had done any damage, not even the pipes seemed affected, they just kept dripping away.

However Naruto did manage to spot one strange thing out of it; just to test it he began to build up chakra within his body again, feeling the flow in his pathways as it circulated at a faster rate under his direction. His ear twitched as he looked up at the pipes above him, it was unmistakable. Whatever was flowing through the smaller pipes sped up when he began to gather chakra and likewise slowed down when he harmlessly allowed it to disperse.

"Weird." With an irritated sigh Naruto just resigned himself to walking along the pathway. However no sooner than he put one foot in front of the other he felt it; that same malicious aura that Sora had been emitting. His eyes widening in panic Naruto took off at a sprint down the corridor in the direction he felt the presence coming from. If Sora was having another attack he needed to be there for his friend.

After another five minutes of running as Naruto became increasingly worried he finally turned a corner only to skid to a stop. In front on him was a massive room, a change from the otherwise cramped hallways, but the most noticeable feature was the enormous metal gate spanning the length of one wall and behind it... Naruto couldn't be sure. Darkness stretched on beyond the gate showing no visible floor or ceiling making it seem like Naruto was staring out into nothingness.

Of course it didn't stay that way for long, two enormous eyes cracked open in the darkness as Naruto stepped into the room. Their slitted black pupils framed by red stared through him, piercing him with their gaze. They were followed by an equally large mouth, teeming with teeth as it stretched into a horrific facsimile of a grin. Each gleaming white tooth was taller than Naruto was himself and looked like they could tear through just about anything.

"**So my jailor finally honours me with his presence and with a gift of my own chakra no less. How very..." **The two massive eyes narrowed slightly as whatever invisible head they were attached to lowered to better look at Naruto, simultaneously pulling in a deep breath of air. **"...thoughtful." **Large white claws, much bigger than the teeth, appeared at the base of the cage door, gently stroking the bars with a deafening ring of metal. While a terrifying sight it did give Naruto the impression that whatever this thing was, he was safe as long as he stayed away from the bars.

"**Are you not going to speak Ningen? It has been so long since I have had the pleasure of company, eight miserable years in fact." **Naruto gulped, trying to hide just how frightened he was of this... thing, whatever it was. Demon was the first word that sprung to mind but upon thinking of that word Naruto suddenly remembered his life in Konoha, those quiet whispers when they thought he wasn't listening. They too had called him demon but Master Chukaku had told him they simply didn't understand him and it was their ignorance that led to their hatred.

"Hello, I'm Naruto." The great eyes once again focused on the small child, the head lowering even further so that they were almost at eye-level with one another. It wasn't that hard considering Naruto was about as tall as the diameter of the eyes.

"**I know your name Ningen, I listened to you shout it out every time you made that foolish declaration of becoming Hokage." **The creature seemed to spit the word Hokage like it left a sour taste in its mouth. By its voice Naruto would assume it was male but it was so loud and booming he couldn't really tell either way.

"What's yours?" Suddenly the creature laughed a deep, bellowing chuckle that resounded in the small space, at least small in comparison to itself. However the laugh contained no humour, it was more mocking than anything.

"**Just because you have those eyes Ningen, do not presume you can hold a candle to their original owner!" **The creature slammed its remaining invisible paw down somewhere in the darkness beyond the cage, the boom resounding through the room. Its eyes narrowed dangerously as Naruto didn't even flinch, its mouth once again stretching into a sickening grin.

"**Do you not fear me Ningen?" **Its voice was low, like a soft grumble despite its sheer volume in Naruto's ears; it also didn't particularly sound like a question. Naruto stood firm though, quickly shaking his head defiantly.

"Master Chukaku says that fear is the natural human response to something we don't understand. But if we don't choose to try and understand, it will lead to ignorance and unfounded hatred. Then that hatred will only lead to more pain, suffering and fear." The creature in the cage almost seemed amused by this, its head rising up into the darkness even as its eyes never left Naruto's unmoving form.

"**Don't hope to believe you could ever even try to understand me Ningen. I am a being beyond your comprehension. The culmination of millennia of hatred and rage."**Naruto looked down at that, breaking eye contact with the creature for the first time since meeting it.

"Master Chukaku told me that nobody is born hating. It is only their experiences, their losses, their sufferings that drive them to hate and that hatred is only the most extreme expression of love." He looked back up and saw the creature regarding him with what might have been curiosity; it might also have been contempt. Whatever it was it was gone before Naruto could really see and the creature was lowering its head back down, its eyes narrowed but firmly fixed on the blonde. After a few moments of tense silence it finally spoke out in a deep but low tone.

"**For now you may call me Kyuubi, now begone Ningen, this idiotic conversation has already bored me."** Naruto suddenly felt a tug from behind as if he had been snagged by some invisible rope before he was violently yanked back into darkness. However before he left he caught a glimpse of the Kyuubi's full form, that of an enormous nine-tailed fox.


	4. Fire IV

**Yo, Digi got lost on the road of life so I'm here to tell you he doesn't own Naruto, sorry I'm a little late.**

* * *

**Sage**

_"The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up" – Paul Valer_

* * *

"-ruto... Naruto... Naruto!" The voice seemed to echo in his head like he was underwater.

"Wuh?" The blonde wearily blinked his eyes open, wincing as he managed to stare directly into a ceiling light. His eyes clenched shut as it felt like he was being repeatedly smacked over the head, no wait...

"Ah! What was that for old man!?" The blonde glared angrily at the wizened monk who only offered an innocence smile in return, shakujou returning to its place behind him.

"Good you're up Naruto-kun, we were beginning to worry." Naruto merely glared at Chukaku, rubbing his head as he mumbled a few choice curses under his breath.

"You got a funny way of showing it master." His eyes not even opening for a second the older monk began reached around his back for the staff again.

"What was that my boy?" The blonde immediately had his hands up in front of him, an strained grin in his face as he attempted to placate the irritated monk.

"Nothing! Nothing master." Chukaku just continued to smile but with a sigh of relief Naruto noted the staff had once again disappeared to that null space that Chukaku seemed to be able to draw upon at will.

"Good, my ears aren't what they used to be so I had to be sure." Naruto felt a large drop of sweat gather by his brow before he suddenly looked around, a more intent look on his features.

"Sora! How is he?" He noticed he was back in his room, the blinds closed for all the good they did at keeping out the irritating rays of light from the early morning.

"Oh don't worry about that, Sora's fine. In fact he woke up a few hours before you did, I believe he's out training right now." Naruto blinked in surprise at that, he didn't know what was going on with Sora but it seemed serious, just how long had the two been out? As if sensing Naruto's thoughts exactly Chukaku gave a small chuckle as he gestured towards the wall clock, proudly displaying that it was around midday. "Don't worry boy, you were only out for the night, both you boys didn't have a scratch on you after a few hours." Again Naruto blinked in surprise, he was no medic but he was sure wounds like they had weren't supposed to heal that quickly.

"Wait, training?" Chukaku just hummed out a yes as he bobbed his head once in the affirmative as the blonde took the opportunity to pull himself up into a seiza position. "Shouldn't he be resting or something?" The older monk merely gave a knowing smile as he looked out the window, listening out for the usual sounds of the bird song as well as the rhythmic tapping of the Shishi-odoshi.

"He was rather insistent. I believe he had some issues to work out and nothing beats some hardy exercise to clear one's head." Naruto frowned at the word 'issues', usually Sora would come to him if he had problems and vice-versa; they were supposed to be friends. Speaking of which, Naruto suddenly had a thought as he remembered back on his strange encounter with the Kyuubi, it felt far too real to be a dream but he didn't know what to make of it.

"Umm Master?" Chukaku only raised a brow as a single eye glanced in his direction but Naruto had known him long enough to know that meant he was listening. "I had a strange dream while I was unconscious, there was this strange place full of corridors and pipes that I was wandering through and then there was this giant room with a huge cage." At the mention of a cave Naruto suddenly found himself at the full attention of the head monk.

"And did you see what was behind the cage?" Naruto blinked in surprise; it almost looked like Chukaku was taking what Naruto said seriously.

"Yeah, at first it was just some big eyes and teeth but when I left I caught a glimpse of it; it was a massive orange fox that called itself the Kyuubi." Naruto was shocked to see Chukaku's eyes open in surprise; he had never seen the head monk's eyes open before.

"You say it referred to itself, as in you talked with it?" Naruto nodded nervously as the old monk turned away, once again looking out of the window. However this time he wasn't truly looking, Naruto could tell his thoughts were elsewhere.

"But it was just a dream, right master?" Chukaku took a quick glance at the boy, noting his nervous and insecure expression; it was so alien on Naruto's usually exuberant and confident face. Finally the man let out a sigh that really carried his age as he slowly got to his feet on aching knees.

"Naruto, come to my study in a few minutes, there's something I need to talk with you about. But first I must go get Sora, there is something you both need to know." And without further ceremony the old monk just left, leaving a highly confused blonde in his wake as he quickly made his way towards the training grounds.

* * *

"Naruto, Sora, this is going to be very hard for you to hear and honestly, I feel it is too early for me to tell you these things, However I believe that should I not explain them now you will be forced to live in confusion later on." Both Naruto and Sora were sitting in Chukaku's study, the only other room in the temple besides the library that actually had chairs, even then they were only moderately more comfortable than the floor. Chukaku himself sat behind a fairly plain wooden desk that was built for function rather than beauty. The elderly man took a deep breath with his eyes closed in thought before catching both boys' eyes.

"You both know of the attack eight years ago on Konohagakure?" After getting two slightly unsure nods he continued; it may not have been spoken about much in Konoha but it was hardly secret. "But before I explain that you must first know about the Bijuu." He waited a moment but sure enough the two boys looked confused at what he said. "Nobody knows quite where they came from or even what they truly want but we do know they are powerful. There are nine of them in total, each marked by the number of their tails." He saw a glint of recognition in Naruto's eyes but he quickly silenced any query with a wave of his hand.

"They are enormous constructs of chakra given form and life, and if I can trust a certain source of information, intelligence. The thing that attacked Konoha those eight years ago was the Kyuubi no Kitsune, the most powerful of the nine Bijuu. Its motives were unknown but in the end it destroyed over half the village before it was defeated at the cost of the Yondaime Hokage's life. Except chakra is energy and like all energy it cannot be destroyed, only moved or changed, so in essence it is impossible to truly kill a Bijuu; at best it would simply reform as the consciousness pulled its physical form back together." He waited to see if the boys were following him and after seeing they understood so far he continued.

"That's why over the years human began to seal Bijuu away like one might a kunai into a scroll. They feared the power the creatures possessed and aside from a select few with abilities strong enough to control or subdue the Bijuu, it was the only way. Unfortunately it is not that simple, people quickly found that something as powerful as a Bijuu could not be contained in any mere object; even the most powerful sealing items paled in comparison to the most powerful of the nine. Instead a new way was discovered; the creatures could be contained within a living human vessel, a host and prison to the creatures' consciousness and power. Of course not soon after that people found ways to weaponize these sacrificial vessels and the Jinchuuriki were created." He sighed sadly as he looked back down at the two boys.

"Is anything clearer now?" He felt a tug at his heart as he saw Naruto looking down at the desk, his eyes shadowed by his unruly hair. Sora on the other hand just seemed confused, looking at his friend curiously as his gaze alternated between the blonde and the elderly monk.

"I don't understand, why are you telling us this?" Surprisingly it wasn't Chukaku who gave him his answer but Naruto, his head still lowered.

"Because we're Jinchuuriki." He looked up finally, his brow furrowed in a frown but his eyes sharp and attentive. "Aren't we?" He stated is as such but the tone of his voice made it clear it wasn't really a question. Chukaku sighed deeply; people didn't give Naruto enough credit, he was really much sharper than he appeared.

"Not quite. Naruto, you are a Jinchuuriki and from what you told me about your dream I would say you contain the Nine-tailed Fox that attacked Konoha. It was most likely sealed into you by the Fourth Hokage in order to stop the creature's rampage." Seeing Naruto's head dip back down he turned to Sora who continued to look around confusedly, completely lost. "Sora on the other hand is a rather unique case; he cannot have a Bijuu inside of him as they are all currently accounted for in their various villages; however he certainly has the chakra of one within him." Even Naruto looked up at that, confused by what the elderly monk meant.

"I believe somebody gathered up the chakra expelled by the Kyuubi on the night of its attack before sealing it directly into Sora, making him somewhat of a pseudo-Jinchuuriki. That was what that incident was, Sora tapping into the power sealed within him. Unfortunately as you witnessed, the chakra of a Bijuu is immensely potent and so intertwined with its consciousness that it can hold their will, even after separation from the creature itself. The Kyuubi is known for being a beast of hatred and rage; it is no surprise that its chakra contains those same dark intents and is no doubt drawn upon when the user is in sync with such emotion." Naruto looked up at that, looking around at his friend who this time was the one to dip his head.

"It's a great power, but also a great burden. However just like with any ability or technique, with enough patience and practise-"

"I DON'T WANT IT!" Chukaku and Naruto looked around at Sora in shock; he had stood up from his seat, allowing the wooden chair to clatter to the ground. His chest was heaving and his eyes were brimming with tears. For a second Chukaku could have sworn he saw a flicker of red enter his eyes. "I never asked for this power! Get it out of me!" His shoulders suddenly slumped as he felt all the anger leak out of him; he looked around to see Naruto gently holding his sleeve. He didn't know why but it felt like that single touch was all that was stopping him just storming out the room, it was calming.

"Unfortunately Sora, there has never been a method of safely extracting bijuu chakra once it has been sealed into a host." He looked thoughtful for a moment, only half noticing Sora's angry, yet dejected face. "On the other hand like I said, you are a unique case, perhaps if we-"

"I'll do it!" Chukaku sighed, wondering when it became so commonplace for people to interrupt him mid-sentence. He looked over at the young blonde, a mask of pure determination set on his features as he looked at Sora. "I'll find away to help you, even if I have to take on your burden myself!" Sora was simply shocked, he knew Naruto was his friend but he never expected such a passionate response. A small grateful smile appeared on his face as he pulled Naruto into a grateful embrace.

"Thank you Naruto, I can really count on you always, can't I?" Naruto simply nodded, the determination in his eyes never wavering. Finally the two broke apart when they heard a loud and very intentional coughing. Sheepishly they turned to look at the Head monk who had his arms crossed and a single eyebrow raised.

"As I was saying." He tilted his head slightly, waiting for an interruption, when none came he smiled serenely before continuing. "There may be a way yet." He turned towards Naruto with an intensive expression which made the small boy slightly nervous. "Naruto, you did something while Sora was under the influence of the Fox's chakra, none of the monks had ever seen anything like it. It was almost as if you were drawing the chakra right off of him and into yourself, you even healed as you were doing it." Naruto just blinked in surprise before looking up and rubbing the back of his head.

"I did? I don't remember that. All I remember is holding onto Sora and wishing that he would just stop, I didn't want to see him that way, covered by that foul chakra." Chukaku's other eyebrow joined his first momentarily before a similarly thoughtful expression appeared on his own face.

"Naruto I want you to do something for me." The blonde just nodded quickly, he had long since stopped questioning the head monk's orders, even though he never phrased them as such. "Touch my arm and think back to that moment, like when you first started to train in your gravity manipulation." Naruto seemed confused and unsure but nevertheless he grabbed a hold of the old man's arm and began to think back. Like everything in the past year he could easily conjure up the memories of the previous night.

As the sight of red chakra and the acrid smell of smoke along with the desperation and sadness filled his recollection he began to feel a strange pull from the contact with Chukaku. Likewise the elderly monk looked at his arm in amazement; he could quite clearly feel his chakra being siphoned off into Naruto at a rather substantial pace. If he didn't have as much chakra as he did, only rivalled by Chiriku and unknowingly Naruto in the temple, he might have been worried. Like that time a year ago Naruto suddenly found words that weren't his own leaving his lips, that same instinctual feeling filling him up.

"Preta path!" Chukaku's eyes widened in amazement as he felt the rate his chakra was being drawn in substantially increase. He quickly pulled his arm out of Naruto's grip and thankfully he felt the process stop but he suddenly felt quite tired, like he had spent a few hours training. Naruto on the other hand looked incredibly refreshed, the slight bags under his eyes from fitful sleep vanishing. Sora had watched the whole ordeal with a curious gaze before mumbling something about blonde's getting all the luck.

"Well that was... interesting." Naruto looked up at the old monk expectantly, as if waiting for some kind of explanation for what just happened. After a moment of thought Chukaku nodded, seemingly to himself, before looking back down. "You said 'Preta path' Naruto, was it like what you told me about the names of those gravity techniques?" After a quick nod Chukaku hummed again. "Perhaps this is one of the six paths that gave the Sage his name, which might make those gravity techniques another." Almost on reflex Naruto once again found another set of phantom words pass through his mind.

"Deva path." Chukaku and Sora blinked at Naruto as the blonde looked sheepishly away. "I think it's the Deva path." Chukaku blinked one more time before standing up and moving over to the window.

"Interesting, that means there are four more you have yet to discover." He looked back around and for a moment Naruto was reminded of the times he had spoken with his Jiji, the two had the same look. "Only time will tell if you will discover them or not, but I'm sure if you do, you will master them." He sighed, wishing he had a pipe to draw upon but he had given up that habit years ago to support the 'clean body' ideal the temple upheld. "For now though I believe that is enough, too much information in one sitting can be as bad as anything in excess; get some food; we have plenty of time to figure things out." He watched as the two boys stood, bowed and left the room, bickering almost as soon as their feet landed outside his door.

"So you 'held' me huh?" Sora had a mischievous smirk on his face as Naruto froze with his face flush with embarrassment.

"Gah! You're just jealous I had to be the one to save you!" Sora never lost his haughty expression even as he began laughing, on hand on Naruto's shoulder as the two walked further away from the study. Chukaku watched them go with a fond smile, glad that even this experience had done nothing to dampen their spirits and their friendship. It was rare to see a bond so strong, especially one that held against hardships like these.

* * *

The next few months flew by very quickly for Naruto, he had made a promise and he intended to keep it. He had wholeheartedly thrown himself into finding a way to free Sora of the burden inside of him. He now spent hours each day holed up in the library, pouring over books; but that wasn't to say he neglected his training or other studies. He still made time to do everything, although he now found his day very tightly packed. The other monks weren't too surprised; after all he had once meditated for three days straight just to prove a point.

Fuinjutsu had briefly caught his eye, it was what sealed the Chakra into him and Sora in the first place, however that turned up a dead end. Learning and mastering sealing to that level required years of intense study, time Naruto had but he felt Sora did not. It wasn't obvious but there were subtle signs that each day Sora was becoming more and more affected by Kyuubi's chakra. Brief flashes of unreasonable anger, his eyes flaring red occasionally and worst of all, his arm. Sora's arm had always been a concern for him but now it was permanently stuck in its more demonic form.

What Naruto needed was time, or at least a way to decrease the time it would take him to learn fuinjutsu, what he had thought was an impossibility. However to his surprise when he brought the matter to Chiriku he had instantly thought of a solution, a technique known only to Konoha ninja, but shared with the Fire Temple due to them being affiliated; the shadow clone technique. It seemed so perfect at first, now Naruto could split his attention as much as he wanted and all he would have to deal with was a small headache at the end of the day. In theory with his Chakra reserve he should be able to create hundreds of clones that could all share their memories with him.

Of course things were never so simple for the blonde; as soon as he tried to create any clones he ran into a problem, if you could call it that. It turned out that due to the clones having Rinnegan eyes as well, Naruto shared his vision with them and them with him. It had certainly been a surreal experience for the blonde to suddenly find himself staring in about a hundred different directions at once, not to mention intensely confusing and painful. Right now he could only deal with his vision split three-ways, but it was still very distracting.

Chukaku theorised that with practise he could increase the amount of clones he could deal with so each day he would spend about an hour just acclimatising to it. He found out by accident as a clone watched him spar with Sora that it gave him a unique advantage in that a single clone could cover his blind spots while three could practically eliminate them entirely and all they had to do was sit still and watch. Of course they were fragile and once Sora realised what he was doing he quickly went about destroying them as soon as possible, luckily with Naruto's incredible reserves it was fairly simple to just re-make them once popped.

Sora too had learnt the shadow clone technique and thanks to his own demonic chakra which gave him substantial reserves, if not comparable with Naruto's or any other Jinchuuriki, he quickly made good use of them. He did not suffer from the same problems Naruto did, although they found the mental exhaustion was much more taxing on him, limiting him to how many clones he could make a day. Still, it allowed him to study inside with clones while meditating or training outside, freeing up some of his day.

However with pretty much all of Naruto's day taken up Sora found himself with a lot of free time. Of course every problem has a solution in time and while picking up after Naruto in the library he became interested by a book on sealing and had taken up learning the art. He of course made liberal use of Shadow clones in the process but pretty soon he was impressing the other monks by drawing out various simple barrier and strengthening seals.

Naruto on the other hand was looking down different avenues, namely his Doujutsu. He had thrown himself into trying to understand his elusive eyes; relentlessly training his Deva and Preta path. Strangely he had found that the Preta path was not simply the ability to absorb chakra as he had first thought, but direct it. In that way he could either pull it into his own body, or likewise push his own into someone else's, instantly adapting the chakra to its new body. He found he could even push chakra into the ground or inanimate objects; however it did little more than strengthen them and if he pushed enough it, give them a blue glow.

On another note he had also spent time researching the Sage himself, hoping to gain insight into his powers and perhaps hints on potential abilities. Apart from the more outlandish things like the myth about the moon there was barely any information on the man himself; just like all information on that period in history. Naruto couldn't even figure out exactly when the man had lived or where. The only useful information was that he had a number of special possessions that were now considered sacred in many places.

Once again he was surprised when he brought that information to Chukaku; the man had smiled but said nothing, instead leading Naruto deep underground the temple via passageways the young blonde didn't even knew existed. Finally they had reached a large vault where some of the more precious or sacred items the Fire Temple held in its possession were kept. There were even some treasures from the Fire Daimyo's personal collection that the man wanted protected and didn't want to use ninja.

However that wasn't the surprise; that came when Chukaku had shown him an old shakujou, it looked ordinary enough but apparently it was said to have belonged to the Sage himself. According to very ancient records it was a gift to one of the man's closest friends who had later gone on to found the Fire Temple itself, becoming the first head monk. It was kept in the vault as it consumed massive amounts of Chakra just by being held, killing an ordinary person in moments and an average Jounin in about ten minutes. Naruto had gone to pick it up but Chukaku had held him back, telling him it wasn't the time for that just yet.

So now Naruto was sitting in a field around the back of the living quarters; it was one of his favourite places to meditate as it held a small pond with a single stone at the centre he could rest on. He was feeling for his Chakra, examining its flow as it moved and slid through his pathways, sometimes quickly, other times like it wasn't even moving at all. He had been told by Chiriku he possessed incredible control over his chakra, especially for someone with reserves as large as his own. Once again Chukaku theorised it was to do with his Rinnegan.

He had equated it to the chakra being a lumpy fluid and the Rinnegan being a kind of strainer. The lumpy fluid that was uncontrolled chakra moved through the pathways, sticking to the sides and causing friction which unbalanced the entire system. When it passed through his eyes it would be strained, becoming more fluid and less viscous. This way it would cause less friction and gave Naruto unparalleled control; at least that was the only was the head monk could explain it.

He felt his chakra move around his stomach, close to his Gate of View, when a small frown creased his brow for just a moment. There was a small, almost unnoticeable pull on his chakra in that area, draining it out of his pathways and into something else. He knew what it was of course, the seal that held the Kyuubi within him. He thought about how easy it would be to simply pull back on that chakra, stop it from flowing into the seal; it would only take a single thought. Of course that would degrade the prison quickly, in no time releasing the Kyuubi's chakra within him in a way he was sure wouldn't be the most pleasant experience for him.

However he decided to focus on that, feeling the way his chakra was leeched out, focusing intently on the seal and the way his own chakra moved through it. He could also feel the Kyuubi's chakra leaking into his own system, being almost immediately converted into a more usable form by both the seal and his Preta path which he realised must have been working subconsciously since the Rinnegan had activated. Suddenly he felt a familiar tug on his mind that he hadn't felt in a few months. He succumbed to it, allowing his own consciousness to fall deep within himself.

* * *

"**So you've returned." **Naruto opened his eyes and sure enough he found himself back in the enormous room that represented the seal, the enormous bars before him and the Bijuu beyond it.

"Kyuubi." Naruto gave a small inclination of his head before feeling a large gust of warm air blow over him as the great fox snorted contemptuously.

"**No need for the pleasantries Ningen, why have you come here or do you enjoy flaunting your freedom before your prisoner?" **Naruto frowned at that as he took a seat on the floor, pulling his legs towards him to sit in a loose cross-legged pose. He couldn't quite see it but the Kyuubi frowned at that in the darkness of his cell; it was a position he had seen many times over from one he would never see again.

"You know I never asked to have you sealed inside of me." Again he felt the warm breath of the Kyuubi wash over him as the large fox snorted, this time in amusement.

"**So you have come to whine about the injustice of your pathetic existence? How typical of your kind." **Naruto didn't bat an eye, he had thought long and hard about the situation between him and his tenant and no longer feared the Kyuubi, at least as long as it was safely locked away within him.

"You speak as if you know humans." Deep in the darkness of the cell he saw a solitary red eye crack open, the slit pupil swivelling until it settled on his form.

"**I know about your kind, far more than I care to remember, or even wish to." **For a long time there was silence between the two and when it was clear neither intended to speak the great fox grunted in annoyance, its eye closing again.

"What happened?" Again there was silence, this time it was almost palpable; the Kyuubi didn't move but somehow Naruto felt all its attention was squarely on him. "What happened to make you hate so much?" Again a loud grunt echoed through the large cage, the bars trembling slightly as the mighty fox raised itself onto its paws. Slowly it lumbered over to the cage entrance, each step reverberating around the space and making the ground quake. Finally Naruto got a good look at the creature.

Its orange fur glistened in the light that could now reach it with black markings reaching up from around its eyes to its ears that seemed to belong more to a rabbit that a fox. Nine long tails swayed slowly in sync behind its giant body, each looking like they could take off the top of a mountain with an absent flick. Strangely it had a rather humanoid torso with hands and arms instead of front paws. Other than that it looked just like its title suggested: a large fox with nine tails.

"**Time Ningen, time happened. Time will produce more hatred in a being than any number of pitiful grudges or grievances and I just happen to be cursed by the gift of immortality." **Its large red eyes narrowed as it once again sunk onto its belly, the long tails wrapping almost protectively around its body. **"Why do you care to ask such pointless things Ningen? What could you possibly gain from it? A means to control me? Are you not satisfied with waiting for this accursed seal to finish siphoning away my chakra into you?" **Its gaze remained solely on the blonde, piercing him, awaiting the reply it already expected.

"I wish to understand you." It blinked once; a sight that might have been comical had the situation been different. That had not been the answer it had been expecting and its eyes quickly narrowed again.

"**Then you will fail, now be gone." **Naruto once again felt the tug on his mind however this time he was prepared, he resisted the pull and remained exactly where he was. The Kyuubi had gotten up to return to its spot in the darkness but when he felt he was not alone he turned back around. **"Why do you try my patience Ningen? Let me have my peace." **However Naruto didn't move, he didn't even blink; in fact his eyes had been closed since the fox had begun speaking.

"Is that what you want? Peace?" The Bijuu stopped, its tails slowly coming to rest behind it as the head turned. Red eyes searched Naruto's unmoving form, once again unnerved by the similarities it spotted between the two. "Then why attack Konoha? Why harm people that you find so insignificant? What did you have to gain?" Surprisingly Naruto heard growling within the cage and when he opened his eyes he found the face of the Kyuubi uncomfortably close to the bars of the cage, its lips bared to show its enormous teeth.

"**Do not try me Ningen, I have no reason to explain myself to you or any of your wretched kind. Continue to irritate me and I will make sure that when I claw my way out of this cursed seal it is the single most agonising moment in your short, pathetic life." **It finished with an almost dismissive flick of its tails as it raised its head high up above Naruto, the boy almost losing the Bijuu in the darkness of the cell. **"NOW I SAID LEAVE!" **Again Naruto felt the tug but it was much stronger than before, he was unable to resist and he was forcibly ejected from the seal.

When it was finally satisfied it was alone again the fox retreated back into the cage, far into the darkness where it couldn't even see itself and the entrance was a mere pinprick of light. It curled up around itself, its nine tails wrapping around its form as it went to sleep, a frown on its brow.


	5. Fire V

**Come on Akamaru! Yahoo! Digi doesn't own Naruto but that doesn't mean I can't kick his ass! Right Akamaru? *Bark Bark* **

* * *

**Sage**

___"If we do not plant knowledge when we are young, it will give us no shade for when we are old" – Lord Chesterfield_

* * *

A lone figure, illuminated into shadow by the setting sun behind him strode over the crest of an enormous sand dune, a trail of slowly disappearing footsteps in his wake. A long brown cloak billowed in the warm breeze behind him, protecting his body from the harsh desert winds and sandstorms that were common for the area. He wasn't very tall or imposing, barely standing at a somewhat respectable height of four feet and seven inches for his age. However there was something about him that if somebody saw him pass by it would catch their attention.

Perhaps it was the single magatama bead dangling from his ear that glinted as it caught the fading light of the sun. Maybe it was the occasional hits of bright blonde hair that would appear from underneath his hood when the wind would blow it back. It might have even been the tall Shakujou that jingled with each of his steps, the staff actually reaching higher than he himself was tall. More than likely though it was the fact that as soon as any sand on the wind came within a meter of his form it would bounce back, as if repelled by some invisible force or barrier.

The figure came to a stop, resting slightly on the staff that surprisingly didn't sink into the sand at all, despite supporting his weight. He gazed around for a moment, the shadows his hood provided hiding the direction his eyes were looking. Finally he tugged it back, releasing a shock of bright golden hair, tied up at the back into the beginning of a short, spiky ponytail. He enjoyed the view around him of vast dunes of golden sand stretching off into the distance as far as the eye could see; warm but steely violet eyes narrowed into slits.

His protective cloak continued to billow as he simply stood there, enjoying the moment as the scorching day began to descend into freezing night, leaving a brief twilight hour where everything was still and peaceful. Stars began to peek out of the sky, emboldened by the slow descent of the sun retreating behind the horizon. A fond smile found its way across his whiskered cheeks as he thought back to the events that led him here, the good and the bad.

* * *

"_Good morning Naruto, you look much better now that you've had time to settle and eat. How are you finding the temple so far?" A young blonde looked up with a smile that held both excitement and unending gratitude toward the much older monk._

"_It's great! The monks are really nice and even though Sora can be really annoying sometimes he is friendly and helps me with stuff when Chiriku is busy!" Chukaku smiled contentedly as he ruffled Naruto's hair; the blonde was so happy about his new life that he didn't even care._

"_I'm glad, just make sure that if there's anything you need or if you ever have any questions or concerns you come right to me. Okay?" The small whiskered child nodded excitedly making Chukaku's heart warm to see such innocence return to the boy's features._

"_Um master Chukaku, there is something Chiriku-sempai wanted me to talk to you about." The wizened monk hummed for the boy to continue with a small nod. "He said that I should be able to turn off my Rinnegan, but I can't pull the chakra out of my eyes." Chukaku raised an eyebrow at that, looking closely at Naruto's eyes and felt around for his chakra. Sure enough there was a small build up behind his eyes, obviously what was keeping the Rinnegan active._

"_Hmm, I don't believe there is anything to worry about Naruto. It is true that Sharingan and Byakugan wielders alike have the ability to deactivate their Doujutsu but the Rinnegan is far more mysterious than theirs. For all we know it cannot be deactivated by the will of the user." He smiled fondly as he ushered the blonde closer, planting a warm hand on the boy's shoulder. "Then again maybe you simply lack the control to do so, don't forget you have only recently begun to train in the use and control of your Chakra." The boy scowled at that but still seemed to accept the older man's words._

"_Do you feel any more tired than before you received those eyes?" Naruto quickly shook his head in the negative. "Do they cause you any pain at all?" Again he got a quick head shake to say no. "Do you feel at all uncomfortable with people seeing your eyes?" This time Chukaku saw Naruto hesitate for a moment before shaking his head more slowly and uncertainly. Chukaku smiled knowingly as he got to a knee, something that was increasingly difficult as he got older. _

"_Naruto it is perfectly alright to be afraid of something new but I hope you understand that the eyes you now possess were a gift; one you have earned from your hardships." He chuckled slightly as he pulled himself back to his feet, ruffling the boy's hair as hid did so; this time it did earn him a look of annoyance. "If worst comes to worst and you still feel uncomfortable then do what I do." He smiled childishly even though his eyes stayed narrowed as always. He was glad to see Naruto giggle a little, his usual confidence returning._

"_Thanks master Chukaku, you're really smart." The wizened monk grinned again, ushering the young blonde out of his office playfully. _

"_And don't you forget it." _

* * *

Naruto smiled fondly at the warm memory, eyes crinkled into slits in a way that had always seemed to annoy Sora; so of course Naruto had begun to do it all the time, copying their aging master. He began to walk again, slowly and carefully descending the dune, the staff in his right hand jingling with every movement. He looked up for a moment, spotting the moon begin to show itself in the last moments of sunlight still streaming in over the horizon.

* * *

_Naruto sat up on the roof of the living-quarters building, just staring up at the sky, specifically the moon. In his eyes it seemed to radiate a thin silver aura that Naruto always found beautiful since coming to the temple. He wasn't supposed to be up here, in fact the caretaker always got incredibly annoyed when he found the young blonde up on the roof. Even so Naruto couldn't sleep, his dreams once again invaded by scenes of destruction and wreckage. It was like he was in a body not his own, looking through eyes that weren't his down on events he had no control over._

_The nightmares didn't come that often but when they did he could never go back to sleep. Instead he would come up here and just think for a while; about his new life, about the future, about the responsibilities his powers and burden placed on his shoulders. He heard soft footsteps on the tiles and looked up, expecting to see Chigasu ready to berate him for 'not-respecting the sacredness of the temple roof'. Instead he was surprised to find Sora there instead, the boy walking over with perfect balance to sit next to the blonde._

"_Nightmare again?" Naruto simply nodded, his eyes drifting back to the mysterious white orb hanging in the sky. "The same one?" Again Naruto nodded as his head drooped, pulling his knees up into his chest protectively._

"_Always." Sora sighed as he placed a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder which did relax Naruto slightly. Suddenly he tensed, pulling away from the contact as he turned his eyes away from Sora, instead following a crack along a roof tile. "I'm sorry Sora." The blue-haired Pseudo-Jinchuuriki just looked around in confusion, blinking in surprise at Naruto's cold tone._

"_For what." The blonde sighed deeply as he once again faced forward, this time looking out, over the temple and into the surrounding forests._

"_It's been almost three months and I haven't found anything to help you yet; I haven't kept my promise to you." Sora blinked for a moment before a sad smile slipped onto his features as he too looked out over the temple, in vaguely the same direction as his friend was._

"_I never asked you to make that silly promise, what you're trying to do should be impossible anyway." Naruto scoffed at that but some of the cold edge disappeared, his eyes narrowing in a challenging way._

"_Like the sage creating the moon?" Naruto laughed at his own comment but was surprised when Sora suddenly lay back on the roof, staring up at the far away disk._

"_Hey, what if he did it? I mean really did it?" Naruto blinked before falling back next to his friend._

"_Then he'd be way more powerful than even the legends make him out to be." Sora smirked slightly at that, pulling his hands up to rest underneath his head._

"_I'm going to be like that one day." He heard Naruto scoff next to him and was immediately up on his elbows, tick mark quickly forming on his temple. "What's so funny?" Naruto just grinned as he continued to stare at the moon, completely uncaring of the looming fist of his friend._

"_Please, if you ever get that powerful then I'll be able to move the moon around with a flick of my wrist." This time it was Sora's turn to scoff as the anger leaked out of him, turning into amusement as he flopped back down onto his back._

"_Right, moving the moon." He chuckled at himself "What was I thinking?" Naruto finally looked around, the challenge clearly sparkling in his eyes as his earlier sadness seemed a thing of the past._

"_You're on." Sora blinked in surprise, an incredulous expression developing on his face as he just stared at his blonde friend in shock._

"_That wasn't a challenge Naruto!" Naruto snorted, crossing his arms and looking away haughtily in an exaggerated impersonation of the blue-haired boy._

"_Just because you know you'll lose." Sora was immediately on his feet, his fist raised and other finger pointed accusingly at the blonde._

"_I'll never lose to you!" He blinked in surprise when Naruto just burst out laughing, the anger ebbing out of him as he realised it had been a joke. A few minutes later and they were once again on their backs, just staring up at the sky._

_So how would you do it?" Sora just looked around in confusion at the blonde who had an unusually thoughtful expression. "How would you move the moon?" Sora blinked slowly before shrugging._

"_I don't know, but you know what master Chukaku says, if there is a problem we can't solve, as long as we have friends they'll be there to lighten the burden." Naruto smiled fondly at that, a small chuckled gracing his lips._

"_Yeah I guess you're ri..." He trailed off, blinking once, then twice, then a few more times as he suddenly shot up into a sitting position. Sora could swear he saw the cogs turning in the boy's head before Naruto suddenly shot to his feet, his eyes wide with excitement. "That's it!" before sora could even ask he found both his hands grabbed, pulling him into a standing position as Naruto began to bounce around the rooftop with him. "Sora you're a genius!" the bue haired boy blinked before a small blush settled over his nose and a rather haughty smile fell on his features._

"_Well I don't know..." when he looked up though Naruto was gone; the pseudo-Jinchuuriki looked around but his blonde friend had vanished._

"_Ahem!" Sora froze suddenly, his head slowly swivelling to look at a very irate Chigasu holding his almost infamous wooden spoon in one hand as he taped it irritably against his forearm. "Well what do we have here?" Sora began to stutter as he backed away from the clearly angry caretaker before stopping as he reached the edge of the roof._

"_Well you see Chigasu-sempai, it's uhh... Well you see it's like...DAMMIT NARUTO!"_

* * *

Naruto laughed fondly at the memory as he began to climb up another large dune, neither the steep climb nor loose footing seemingly giving him any trouble. He had replaced his hood, the shadows once again falling over his face, as well as pulling up a scarf to cover his mouth and whisker marks. It was beginning to grow cold as sun vanished; the heat in the ground quickly dispersing and rising up into the air. He absently rubbed a phantom wound on his side as he thought about another life-changing event from the past four years.

* * *

"_Jeez Naruto, calm down would you? You'd think you were the one who was finally getting rid of their inner demon." Even though Sora tried to sound nonchalant about the whole business he couldn't keep his own excitement out of his voice. It was finally happening, after Naruto had run off and left him on the roof to deal with a certain angry caretaker Sora had gone out to find him. Apparently something about their conversation had given Naruto an idea on how to finally free Sora of the Kyuubi's Chakra._

_He didn't understand the technical version of the blonde's plan but simplified it pretty much involved him using many shadow clones to siphon off the Kyuubi's chakra. The main problem with removing a Bijuu from the host was that such a large amount of such potent and corrosive chakra being channelled through a specific spot on the Jinchuuriki, namely the seal, caused an overload of the Chakra network in that area, creating a chain reaction which killed the host. Only those with incredibly potent chakra of their own or a durable body would be able to survive such a thing._

_Unfortunately most unsealing methods did exactly that; unseal the binding on the Bijuu. This meant the chakra would be freed all at once, in one place. Using Naruto's Preta Path they had a unique opportunity to draw out the Chakra directly, from as many different places as Naruto could make clones. Of course it would still hurt but with the extraction being spread out it wouldn't be fatal, or even all that damaging. Of course it was only speculation so any complications that might arie were completely unknown._

_Chukaku had at first seemed hesitant when Naruto brought this before him but ultimately he believed it was Sora's choice. Overjoyed at the chance to finally be rid of what he firmly saw as a curse and burden the blue-haired boy practically jumped at the chance. Of course just to be safe Naruto had spent a few weeks practising with his Preta path to make sure everything was ready; it would do no good to draw out Sora's Chakra with the Kyuubi's._

"_Come on, what's taking so long?" One of the four clones Naruto had created looked up in irritation, the others following suit from afar in a way Sora found slightly creepy. The shared vision may have been useful in a fight but the Pseudo-Jinchuuriki always found it strange when the multiple blondes would do things in unison. Then again that was only to be expected when they were all essentially the same person with the same sight. _

"_Be patient, you've been waiting four months for this; you can wait a few more minutes for the monks to finish their seal." Sure enough around them a few monks were drawing out a large and powerful containment seal on the ground. It was more for the sake of comfort than actual protection; if worst came to worst it wouldn't hold out all that long against a Kyuubified Sora._

"_Yeah yeah, speak for yourself, I can't wait to be finally free." Naruto just smiled at his friend, for the past week or so Sora had become more and more anxious. He was happy to see his friend so excited but he also thought it would be rather strange after all was said and done. He had always kind of enjoyed knowing that he and Sora shared the same burden; it was something that connected them, an unspoken bond of understanding. He shook the thoughts off as he finally got the all clear from the monks as they retreated to a safe distance._

"_Alright, let's do this!" Sora matched the blonde's grin as they moved to the centre of the sealing array. Naruto quickly created ten shadow clones, most of which immediately closed their eyes to spare Naruto a rather intense headache. The ones that didn't led their clone brethren into a small ring with Sora at the centre, each finding a spot to hold onto Sora with both hands. The original smiled warmly as he rested his hands directly on Sora's chest, already able to feel the gentle yet excited flow of his chakra._

"_You ready?" Sora seemed hesitant for a moment but one look at the determination in his friend's steely eyes and that hesitation vanished with a small nod. Without further ceremony Naruto closed his eyes and began to focus on his path, feeling past Sora to the seal on his stomach. The feeling of the Kyuubi's Chakra was unmistakable within the seal, flowing quickly and erratically without a proper conscious mind to guide it._

_Naruto latched onto it, as did his ten clones and slowly they began to draw it out. The change was immediate at the virulent red Chakra began flowing through Sora, pushing his less potent Chakra aside. He was enshrouded by a familiar cloak, this tie only one tail swaying behind him as Naruto held back the rest of the Chakra, managing its flow through Sora and into him with care. The boy at the centre of all this began to pant heavily; it felt like his body was slowly being roasted from the inside._

_Naruto noticed the red seep into his friend's eyes as soon as it happened but he couldn't speed up the process; any faster and he would begin to burn away Sora's Chakra network. He just gritted his teeth, hoping he could finish before anything could happen. He should have known it would be a tall order as Sora began to thrash inside his circle of blondes, first the tail, then the clawed hands. The clones did their best to keep him steady and contained but being as weak and fragile as they were it wasn't much. _

_Naruto couldn't risk them popping early either, that would cause an influx of chakra that could be dangerous for him. He was so focused on drawing out the Chakra and keeping his clones from bursting under Sora's wild swings he missed the bubbling red tail suddenly lunge at him from below. His cry echoed into the courtyard at the tail pierced his side, the burning from the vile Chakra almost as bad as the wound itself._

"_Come on Sora! Don't give up just yet! We're nearly there!" The wound was already closing as the Chakra he absorbed went to work healing it. However a clone was less lucky as the tail was once again brought around, slamming straight through its head. The original blonde winced at the influx of memories and Chakra but held out just long enough for the last of the burning red cloak to ebb away. Naruto was able to give Sora one last smile before falling backwards, exhausted. Sora looked down at the unconscious blonde as he felt a wave of exhaustion hit him as well; before he fell into the arms of one of the clones he managed a weak smile._

"_You kept your promise after all."_

* * *

Naruto realised what he was doing and stopped rubbing his side; the wound hadn't even scarred but he remembered it vividly enough. He hadn't woken up for a whole day after that, the strain on his body from the extra Bijuu Chakra proving too much for him. If it hadn't been for his Preta Path and the seal siphoning off the excess he probably would have died. As it was neither he nor Sora received any lasting damage; in fact Sora's Chakra system had been stretched quite a bit during the whole ordeal leaving him with much larger reserves than before. However that was a double edged sword as his control went completely haywire.

Something moving caught his eye and as he looked around he caught the bushy tail of a desert fox just disappearing over the peak of the Dune he himself was climbing. That immediately sent his thoughts towards the other fox in his life as he looked down at his stomach.

* * *

_The small blonde sat calmly in a meditative position just outside the bars of the Kyuubi's cage; far enough that its claws could not reach him. The great fox was in its usual position deep within its cell, however every few minutes or so it would crack a single eye, observing its vessel with mild curiosity. Finally, after about an hour of nothing but the sounds of the enormous Bijuu breathing, the Kyuubi pulled itself to its feet, walking over to the bars of the cage._

"_**What is it you are doing Ningen?" **__Naruto didn't open his eyes, he didn't even move, he just continued to calmly sit there, focusing on the feel of his chakra through his body. After about five minutes, in which the great beast grew increasingly irritated to the point where it was about to bang against the bars, he spoke._

"_I'm meditating." Enormous red eyes narrowed in indignation far above the peaceful human as its nine tails swayed dangerously. The blonde was unfazed, he was now too used to the Kyuubi's hollow attempts at intimidation to even notice._

"_**I can see that Ningen." **__The smallest of smirks tweaked at the corners or Naruto's mouth but he still didn't move._

"_Then why did you ask?" His response was a large gust of wind as the Kyuubi grunted in annoyance._

"_**Do you enjoy trying my patience Ningen?" **__The usually loud and domineering voice was reduced to a low menacing growl which barely fazed the meditating monk-in-training._

"_It's pretty amusing I'll admit" The blonde finally let his hands rest at his sides as he looked up; his face adopting the same expression as his master with a serene smile and narrowed eyes. It was something he had been working on to both honour his teacher and irritate Sora, a win-win. "And my name is Naruto." This time he didn't even get an immediate response, just the background sounds of the enormous tails swishing back and forth._

"_**All you Ningen look alike, why should I concern myself with such petty trivialities?" **__Naruto shrugged nonchalantly, looking away for a moment as if in serious thought about the obviously rhetorical question._

"_Common courtesy?" Again all he got was an indignant snort as the great fox lay down on its stomach, head rested on its paws._

"_**Is there any particular reason for this visit Ningen, do you not remember how all of our past encounters have gone?" **__Naruto did in fact remember, he would come into the seal, attempt to gain a sliver of insight into the Kyuubi's motives or thoughts only to be rebuked and occasionally, forcevly ejected from the seal. He had gotten better at resisting it though once h found Kyuubi was using his Chakra to push him out, it was a simply task to simply absorb it instead. The fox had stopped trying after the third attempt, opting instead to ignore the pest, at least until today._

"_I wanted to ask you about the Sage." The Kyuubi merely growled at him, it would have been incredibly threatening save for the enormous bars that stood between the two. "You once said I couldn't compare to him; that means you must have known him." Suddenly the growling stopped and when Naruto looked up he saw the Kyuubi looking away, off into the darkness of the cell._

"_**What is this Ningen? Have you given up on your foolish quest to 'understand' me?" **__The great fox frowned as the blonde simply grinned in response; it unnerved the Bijuu to see somebody so calm stand, or sit, before him. The last person to do that was... long dead, and the powerful being suddenly had to remind itself of that fact as it gazed down at the smiling blonde._

"_Oh no, I never give up on anything, but I think you'll talk to me when you are ready." Ignoring the indignant grunt of denial that followed he continued. "I simply want to learn more about my ancestor. It would be nice to know something about the original wielder of my eyes. How else am I supposed to live up to his legacy?" He blinked when he found the great beast strangely quite, not evn a dismissive growl was thrown his way._

"_**If that is your wish then you should simply give up now; the Sage of the Six Paths was a God amongst you Ningen. You will never even hope to attain even a sliver of the power that man wielded in a single hand." **__Naruto actually gawked for a moment; that had been the most passionate thing he had heard from the Kyuubi that had not been out of anger. The fox seemed to realise that as well and quickly resets its features into the usual scowl. Recovering quickly the same serene smile was quickly on Naruto's face._

"_It sounds like you admire him." The Kyuubi looked down at the blonde, its slitted pupils narrowing slightly; however there was no denying grunt or snort._

"_**He had my respect." **__Naruto blinked again, this conversation was just full of surprises._

"_So there _is_ a side of you that is not simply rage and anger." As if to disprove this very point the Kyuubi growled deeply, glistening white teeth bared. Naruto filed the Sage away as a touchy subject for the fox before standing up, dusting himself off despite the floor being immaculately clean. "Well I better be going now, don't think this is over." The Kyuubi's answer was to get back up and slink off into the darkness which Naruto couldn't help but compare to a petulant child._

"_**Whatever you say Ningen." **__With a satisfied nod Naruto took another look around the room before seemingly fading from existence. _

* * *

After that Naruto had slowly managed to worm information out of the rather petulant fox. No matter how indignant the Kyuubi might appear it was fairly easy for Naruto to rile it up enough get it to let slip some information. It was all about pushing the buttons necessary to irritate it, something the blonde was exceedingly skilled at. It helped Naruto could create essentially anything he could imagine within the seal, even if the ability did not extent to the seal itself. It seemed the Fourth Hokage had no wish for the Kyuubi to find a way to make his prison more hospitable.

According to the very vehement opinion of the Kyuubi, the Sage was a very different person to Naruto. He was incredibly calm and level-headed, always having a plan for pretty much any situation and when he didn't he easily made up for it in pure unadulterated power. However begrudgingly the great fox admitted the two had their similarities; their attitudes towards never giving up for one. Apparently they also shared similar beliefs on peace, although whether or not that was due to their shared experiences as monks was debatable. Either way the Fox was oddly aggressive when it came to the Sage's various views and beliefs, never revealing too much.

Naruto sighed as he began the long trudge up yet another dune; all he had on this monotonous trek through the shifting, scorching sands were his thoughts and memories. A light jangling from his Shakujou suddenly broke his concentration, a soft smile gracing his lips as he looked at it. To his eyes it glowed with its own inner light, a pale blue that always managed to calm his swirling thoughts. It wasn't even five days ago he had received it, on the day he left the temple.

* * *

"_I'm gonna miss you man." Naruto smiled sadly at his friend as the two came together for a warm hug._

"_I'll miss you too." The blonde chuckled as they pulled away, his hand still on the former-Jinchuuriki's shoulder. "But you know me, I'll be back. It's only a few years at most."Suddenly the two felt hands on their shoulders, looking around they found Chiriku smiling at them fondly._

"_Indeed, it is always a joyous occasion when a monk elects to go on a journey to find themselves and at the same time it is filled with much melancholy. Nevertheless it is a part of becoming a monk that we all must go through at some point. When Naruto returns he will not only be stronger, but wiser from it." The blonde grinned appreciatively at his sempai, when he came back from this trip he wouldn't have to call him that any more. Sor on the other hand gave a small, but playful snort._

"_Pfft, Naruto become wiser, you would have an easier time getting that spoon away from Chigasu." His face became slightly more serious as he turned back around, pulling something out of his robe pocket. "But seriously, you better become stronger man, I wouldn't want you to come back and be _too _easily defeated by me." He opened his hand revealing a small bead shaped like a comma with a hole in the rounder part. Naruto had seen them worn by various monks around the temple before, as necklaces or attached to their belts, it was a Magatama._

"_Wow thanks Sora." He picked up the small earring with a grin, quickly clipping it to his ear, the small white bead catching the sun for a moment. "I appreciate it." He really did, it was a thoughtful gift, supposed to bring good luck on travels._

"_Hmmm, there is something else young Naruto-kun." The blonde turned to see Chukaku standing behind Chiriku, he wasn't quite sure when the old head monk had gotten there. "It is quite likely you will face hardships and perils along your journey, as well as find joys and wisdom. The two often walk hand in hand; along that line I would like to give you something I would hope grants you even the smallest protection." Suddenly the man produced a lonf wooden case out of seemingly thin air, holding it out to the blonde before opening it._

"_A Shakujou?" Naruto was confused as it was rather irregular for a monk-in-training to receive his own staff; it was usually awarded after their self-pilgrimage._

"_You don't recognise it?" Looking closer the blonde gasped in surprise as he did in fact recognise the old wooden staff. With a slightly shaking hand he reached out and took the Shakujou in his hand, not noticing as the monks looked on in interest. As he gripped the sturdy staff he immediately felt a pull on his Chakrra as it bagan to slowly drain into the weapon/tool. Immediately he stopped the flow, pulling back on his Chakra with his Preta Path._

"_The Sage's staff? You are giving me this?" Chukaku, after seing that the staff seemed to have no detrimental effect on the boy, nodded with a serene smile._

"_Of course, it is part of your legacy, treat it well." The young Jinchuuriki just nodded dumbly before stepping forward, wrapping his small arms around the old monk in a warm hug._

"_Thanks Mas... Thanks Jiji; for everything you've done for me." Chukaku gently rubbed the boy's hair, his eyes opened for once as he didn't want to miss a single second of the departure of a boy he had come to see as a surrogate grandson. _

"_You're very much welcome Naruto-kun."_

* * *

Again Naruto schooled his face into his usual serene mask as he climbed over the peak of what seemed like his thousandth dune. He was truly sad leaving the temple behind him but he knew that was not the last he would see of it. However that wasn't to say he not excited; it was as though he was finally starting a new chapter in his life. There, far off on the horizon, as if to cement that idea, was a small, almost unnoticeable dot. Of course Naruto could see much with his eyes and he knew exactly what that dot was.

Sunagakure no Sato was in sight.


	6. Wind I

**Digi doesn't own Naruto-baka but I bet Sasuke-kun could take it from Kishimoto-sama! Shannaro!**

* * *

**Sage**

**Book II: Wind**

_"The first step in the acquisition of wisdom is silence, the second listening, the third memory, the fourth practice, the fifth teaching others." - Solomon Ibn Gabriol_

* * *

The great sandstone walls of Sunagakure no Sato rose up high above the young monk, in stark contrast to the surrounding desert. He was quite thankful to finally arrive at the village, although calling it as such would be a stretch due to the sheer size of the ninja capital. The journey itself was not all that harrowing; most of the time there was a breeze to stave off the worst of the sun's punishing rays and at night Naruto was able to use the fire-natured chakra running through his body to warm himself.

He remembered fondly when Chiriku had decided to test his and Sora's nature affinities. Sora's came up as wind which was surprising due to the rarity of wind users outside of Kaze no Kuni. Of course that paled in comparison to the surprise that Naruto was gifted with all five nature affinities, in what looked like equal measures. A feat that was considered biologically impossible by all the chakra experts in the known world. The look on Chiriku's face as the small piece of paper simultaneously split into four pieces, burnt, crumpled, dampened and crumbled into dust was absolutely priceless.

Being the easiest to control, Naruto first began training his fire affinity, taking to it surprisingly quickly. Not to be outdone Sora began his own elemental training although Naruto didn't get to see the fruits of that effort as they had each only begun a month before Naruto left. However the blond managed to surprise Chiriku when he politely declined being taught any fire jutsu. He didn't really have an answer when asked why, especially by Sora who just seemed confused; he would have thought learning jutsu would be right up Naruto's alley.

Honestly though it simply reminded Naruto too much of what his life might have been in Konoha. Then of course that brought him to memories of the day he lost everything he cared about and it was just too painful for the blonde. His Rinnegan abilities were different, they were just as much a part of him as the actual eyes were themselves, he felt obligated to learn and understand them better. Even so he completed the first stage of fire manipulation training, he didn't even have to use shadow clones to do so which he was proud of.

The exercise involved setting a small fire in the middle of a leaf and controlling the flames so they wouldn't burn outwards. There was the added incentive that if you couldn't do it, you burned your fingers. Sora felt less obligated to do it the slow way, he used the useful jutsu in abundance to complete his own wind manipulation training, splitting a leaf. In the end between Sora's use of shadow clones and Naruto's impeccable control over his chakra, they finished around the same time.

Standing there now though, with the sun bearing down on him and the enormous walls blocking a lot of the wind ironically enough, fire-natured chakra wasn't all that helpful. He gave a small smile to the shinobi standing at the gate who simply passed his rather bored gaze over the monk. Once he had deemed him simply a monk posing no immediate threat to Suna's safety he handed Naruto a few forms to fill in. They were fairly standard liability forms letting Naruto know that anything he did that was seen as 'wrong' while in Suna would be punishable as the Kazekage, or more likely the shinobi on hand, deemed fit.

Once they were all filled out he was quickly ushered through with a group of merchants, a few of which were obviously not locals as they looked about ready to pass out from the heat. He felt especially sorry for a particularly large man wearing a lot of jewellery and finery that looked positively sweltering. Once he was in the village though those thoughts left him as he gazed at the incredible sight.

He had fond memories of Konoha mixed in with the bad and he knew the village was a beautiful place to be. The forests surrounding the shinobi stronghold were lush and vibrant as well as beautiful when they caught the light during a sunset. However its beauty was incomparable to Suna's purely because the two places were so vastly different. Where Konoha had tall modern buildings nestled amongst more traditional estates giving it a very multi-cultural appeal, Suna was slightly more uniform.

All the buildings were built from the same material, a kind of multi-purpose sandstone that looked as solid as any good concrete or stone. However that was where the uniformity ended, each building looked as unique as it possibly could, most being either cylindrical or even spherical. Great walkways rose from the ground to straddle the sky providing even more ways for civilians to get around the village.

Yet there was something both villages both shared and that was the vibrancy. People bustled through the streets, vendors peddled their wares to passersby and everywhere he looked shinobi were going about their business or relaxing in various cafes and restaurants, obviously between missions or training. It brought a smile to the young monk's face that even hundreds of miles away these people were still recognisable as just that, people. No matter where they lived they were all still human with the same needs, desires and wants that came with it; it was comforting.

Of course humans were also rude, as quickly evidenced by an impatient merchant jostling Naruto as he hurried by, forcing the young monk to steady himself with the shakujou. Ignoring the man, Naruto took to wandering the village for a while, taking in the sights of the vibrant and friendly people. He was not used to the slight inclinations of the head and occasional wave that were tossed his way as people passed him by. He wasn't sure if it was because he was dressed as a monk or because the people were just naturally this friendly. It was a stark contrast to his treatment in Konoha where he might as well have not existed.

After a while though he began to grow hungry so he stopped in what looked like a small park. There were swings and slides and other equipment associated with children yet strangely there seemed to be nobody about. He took out a sealing scroll from one of his pockets, unsealing the box inside; absently he noted he was running out of the rations Chiriku had given him at the start of his journey. He had put them to good use during his trek through the desert, although finding drinkable water was a whole other issue.

He briefly wondered what he was supposed to do for money now that he was outside of the temple. In Konoha he had received a weekly stipend from the Hokage after leaving the orphanage. It wasn't a lot and he tended to be overcharged or refused service in most places but it was enough to get by. He guessed he would have to do jobs for people to earn food or money once his ran out. With shadow clones and chakra-enhanced muscles he could be an excellent labourer, he wouldn't even be asking for much. He decided to think on it later as he noticed the doors to a large building across the park open and a rush of young children maybe a year or two younger than him run out.

He realised with a slightly raised brow that this must be Suna's shinobi academy as he saw a few shuriken and kunai holsters on the young students, probably blunted. He watched with amusement as the kids began to play in the park during what was obviously a recess from their studies. He sighed though as he realised he too would be doing this had he stayed in Konoha. As he watched the children naturally congregate into their various friend groups he wondered what kind of friends he might have had, if any.

He didn't miss the casual glances he was getting from the nearby chuunin instructor but those quickly stopped when Naruto made no move to do anything. Eventually he got up, broken from his melancholy as the children were ushered back inside by a loud bell that obviously marked their break as over. He walked past the front of the academy, intent on finding somewhere he could get some food or work. However he paused as he heard rather heated voices coming from a small alleyway that ran around the back of the school.

Quieting the jingle of his shakujou with a thin application of Chakra through the staff he calmly walked towards the voices, surprised to find three boys that were probably last-year academy students all surrounding a younger girl who seemed to be from the year he had just seen playing outside. None of them seemed to notice him and he didn't bother hiding himself, just leaning on the wall of the alley as he listened in with interest.

"Please, I have to get back to class or Sensei will be angry with me." It was the girl who spoke; she had brown hair that hung straight around her head down to her shoulders. Her voice was timid and full of fear as he bowed her head submissively to the three older boys.

"What's the point huh? It's not like somebody like you could ever be a shinobi." Naruto raised an eyebrow at that; the boy had a contemptuous sneer that the blonde recognised growing up.

"Yeah, what kind of ninja is afraid of weapons anyway?" As if to emphasise his point one of the others pulled a kunai out of his pouch, except these weren't the standard blunted weapon used from practise, this one gleamed in the weak light, the edges very much sharp and deadly. The effect on the girl was instantaneous, she tried to back away from the boy with the kunai but was blocked by the other two. Naruto was simply appalled by this; was this how shinobi of the same village treated their own?

"Maybe we should correct your little fear of weapons with a demonstration eh? Let us show you just how effective they can be." Suddenly the girl was grabbed from behind in a strong hold, one arm thrust out in front of her as the boy walked closer, kunai glinting ominously. However before the sharp edge could be applied to her skin the small weapon suddenly flew from his hands as if drawn by some invisible force. When the three turned in the direction it had flown they saw Naruto standing there, the kunai in his hand as he observed it idly.

"Did you know the kunai used to be a gardening tool? They were used in royal gardens and monks temples alike, a wonderful multi-purpose tool used for levering and digging. It was the ninja who turned it into a weapon; cheap to make and simple to sharpen. Suddenly a simple item used for gardening had been turned into a weapon designed to kill." Naruto looked up as he began to bend the kunai in his hands, using chakra to enhance his strength.

"Hey, who the hell are you?" The tallest of the three boys stepped forward to face the newcomer, obviously either the leader of the trio or the resident hothead. Naruto simply chuckled as he let the kunai drop to the sandy ground, the weapon bent out of any kind of useful shape.

"Me? I'm just a simple travelling monk." The boy sneered, the earlier impossible feat forgotten as he immediately dismissed the boy smaller than he was.

"You're just a runt, get lost! We're fifth year academy students, practically genin already!" Naruto sighed in an exaggerated manner, taking the opportunity to rest his staff against the wall of the alleyway.

"I weep for your village the day people like you are legally allowed to become shinobi." The boy growled angrily, affronted that some brat kid would speak to him like that. He immediately drew out a second kunai as Naruto dropped back into a Taijutsu stance none of them recognised. The 'almost genin' stopped for a moment before laughing at the blonde.

"You're going to try and fight me? You're just a monk, I don't even recognise that stupid stance." Naruto allowed a fleeting smile to flicker over his lips that slightly unnerved the boys still holding the girl.

"This is the starter stance for the Mizu no Mai. I'm not surprised you don't recognise it, I'm still developing it after all." As he spoke His head lowered and brought his arms up, one in front of his body and one behind so that it looked like his whole body was slightly tilted forwards. Both his palms were facing upwards and his legs were also spaced out in front and behind. In all it almost looked like he was bowing. "It should be enough to show you that a weapon certainly does not make one a shinobi." As if that was some kind of signal the other boy rushed forwards, bringing the kunai down in a high arc.

Naruto waited until the last moment, his eyes still closed before suddenly moving out of the way. His whole body span, so close to the other boy they could have held a piece of paper between them. As he did one hand grabbed a hold of the wrist holding the kunai before sliding under the boy, still in one clean sweeping motion. Continuing the flow of his strangely hypnotising dance he pulled his body into the splits, simultaneously taking out both of the boy's feet from under him. Instead of falling flat on his face though Naruto almost gently rolled the boy to the ground so that his back was to the ground. Throughout the whole manoeuvre he had never let go of the boy's wrist. He backed off, allowing the boy to stand which he did, getting to his feet with a surprised expression that quickly hardened into a scowl.

"What kind of pathetic move was that? It didn't even hurt. If that's all you're going to do then... then..." Suddenly the boy began swaying in his feet, feeling incredibly drained like he had been fighting for hours instead of a few seconds. "H-Hey, what did you...?" He didn't get a chance to finish as his eyes rolled back and he dropped bonelessly to the ground. His two friends suddenly released the girl as they backed away from Naruto, not really wanting to mess with somebody who could take out their leader in a single move.

"He'll be fine in about an hour, he's just exhausted. Even so you should take him now and go, I don't really want to fight you." Not even waiting for him to finish the two boys scurried forward, grabbed their friend and dashed off, leaving Naruto alone in the alley with the girl.

"T-Thank you monk-san." Naruto just gave an easy smile, his almost closed eyes turning up as he waved his hand dismissively.

"No problem ahh...?" The girl took the hint as she moved closer, her head finally rising for the first time to reveal a rather cute face and shining black eyes that seemed common in Suna,

"Matsuri." Naruto smiled again as he reached for his shakujou even though he was a bit unnerved by the look of adoration on the girl's face.

"Well then no problem Matsuri, I'm happy to help out." He turned to go but thought better of it as he turned back to face the smaller girl. "Just remember, a weapon does not make a shinobi. Find your own way in life, never let others tell you what you're doing is the wrong way." With that last piece of wisdom the blonde finally made to leave, only to feel a small hand grab onto his own.

"Wait, I don't know your name." The blonde turned with that same smile that reached his eyes.

"It's Naruto." Again he found looking at that admiring stare slightly disconcerting; it was so foreign to him.

"How can I thank you?" Naruto placed a hand on the girls shoulder, unintentionally reading her chakra and was pleasantly surprised to find she had good reserves for a ten year old considering she was only a year younger than him.

"You don't, like I said I was happy to help." And with that he gave a wave and walked off, leaving the jingling of his shakujou echoing in the alley.

* * *

Naruto spent the next few days in Suna taking in the various sights as well as doing odd jobs to earn some food. At night he would sleep in a small out of the way temple near the edge of the village, the kindly master reminding him a lot of Chukaku. Right now he was standing outside a very large and very ornate building, one of the few that weren't cylindrical or spherical. He walked through the door, smiling slightly as he saw the rows upon rows of books, stacked high on shelves covering every wall and more.

This was what his pilgrimage was about; every monk chooses something they want to discover or learn about and they dedicate themselves to it until they are satisfied. Some chose to ponder the mysteries of life and existence, others taking more philosophical routes delving into human nature. Naruto had chosen to try and understand the nature of Chakra itself, to follow in his ancestor's footsteps and hopefully one day surpass him.

That was why he needed to travel, to gain perspective; information tended to be heavily biased towards the ones writing it. That was why he needed to gain a broader understanding of the world, to see the bigger picture from as many angles as possible. He couldn't think of a better place to start than a library, especially one in a ninja village where chakra is part of daily life. However he quickly ran into a problem, the area where all that information was stored happened to be in the shinobi area.

He was not a resident of Suna nor was he a shinobi in their ranks so the information was off-limits for him. Of course if he tried to henge and got caught he could be severely punished under suspicion of being a spy. He sighed as he sat outside on the steps leading up to the library, watching as a chameleon slowly made its way up the wall, stopping occasionally to blend in. They were remarkable creatures; evolution had made it so when they were perfectly still and camouflaged even their chakra was undetectable. He wished he had that ability, it would make getting the information easier.

Suddenly a thought struck him as he got up, quickly making his way back through the streets towards the academy.

* * *

"Hey Matsuri." The young brown-haired girl suddenly jumped in surprise as the voice appeared out of nowhere. She sighed as she turned around before a smile fund its way to her face as she saw just who it was.

"Naruto-san!" The blonde just chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head, his eyes still appearing to be closed.

"Just Naruto is fine. How are you doing?" The girl beamed, looking very different from the shy and timid person she had been before.

"Great! Those bullies left me alone and haven't bothered me again. I think they believe you'll come back to finish them if they do." Naruto just returned her beaming grin with one of his own.

"That's good." Suddenly some of the girl's confidence seemed to drain away as she nervously placed her hands behind her back, looking down at her feet.

"Um Naruto-san, I want to do what you told me, find my own way to do things, without weapons." She clenched her eyes shut for a moment before shooting them open as she brought her hands around to clasp in front of her almost pleadingly. "So do you think you could teach me that Taijutsu style?" Naruto smile suddenly took a saddened turn as he gently patted Matsuri's shoulder, the girl already knowing what that meant.

"Sorry Matsuri, that style relies on a special ability of mine that other people can't do, otherwise it is mostly about dodging attacks while redirecting the force of blows in a harmless way. Plus, I haven't even finished it yet, it's part of a larger Taijutsu style I am creating." While Matsuri looked saddened there was also a slightly awed gleam in her eyes. Creating a Taijutsu style was supposed to be one of the hardest thing a shinobi could do and a boy who only looked a year older than her and wasn't even a ninja was doing just that.

"Oh, okay then." She looked down and Naruto couldn't stand to see the dejected look on her face, it was heart-wrenching.

"But uh hey, that's not the only thing I could teach you!" Suddenly the girl looked back up in a complete emotional one-eighty, hope sparkling in her now drying eyes. Naruto nervously rubbed his head, wondering how Matsuri had managed to flip the conversation around; he was supposed to be the one asking a favour of her. "Yeah, I can uhhhh..." He thought for a moment about what he could teach her before a sly grin spread across his face. "How about I teach you this?" He quickly walked to a nearby wall before placing one foot on and just continuing on up.

"Wow, that's so cool!" The blonde just grinned as he jumped back down before frowning as Matsuri once again emotionally flipped to saddened again. "But you've already done so much for me? How can I repay you for this now?" Finally Naruto allowed a small genuine smile on his face as he wrapped one arm around the smaller girl's shoulders.

"Well now that you mention it..."

* * *

Naruto was meditating in a park, enjoying the feel of a new space to relax in. He couldn't quite describe it but the area felt... different to his home at the Fire Temple. Not in the traditional sense that it was hotter or it just looked different; it actually physically felt different. He remembered back to the analogy he had given the head monk about the green chakra he could see in the stones and plants. It was like he was seeing a new, different piece of that same puzzle out here in the desert; he would have to think about it more.

There was something about this 'other' chakra that he just felt a need to understand; it was too mysterious for him _not_ to try and learn about it. One thing he did know was that he couldn't absorb it with his Preta Path, either that or he was doing something wrong when he tried but for the life of him he couldn't figure out what. He was disturbed from his thoughts as He felt Matsuri enter the park; that was another thing, when he meditated like that, focusing solely on the other chakra he gained a limited awareness of the area around himself.

"Naruto-san?" Again he managed to shock Matsuri as he suddenly dropped down next to her from the branch he had been meditating on, upside down. To her credit though she didn't yelp out loud like the last time.

"Matsuri I already told you just to call me Naruto." The girl waved him off which actually amused Naruto; it seemed she had once again gained a small confidence boost which he only suspected was good for her.

"Look, I got the scrolls for you!" She quickly produced a set of scrolls for him, six of them in total, from a satchel hanging from her shoulder. "My brother was really surprised when I asked him to get them for me." Matsuri seemed to almost sparkle with happiness as Naruto gave her a warm smile, the girl suddenly feeling a little lightheaded, and it wasn't from the heat.

"Thanks a lot Matsuri, this means a lot to me and I couldn't have done it without you." It wasn't entirely true but the blonde didn't think it would be bad to stoke the girl's self-confidence just a little. He created a hand sign and suddenly a perfect replica of himself suddenly appeared, taking the scrolls from the girl. Matsuri just gawked at the very much solid clone the monk had made; at the academy they only taught the regular clone jutsu which was a glorified illusion.

"Wow, can you teach me that?" Naruto chuckled at he began to run through a few hand seals.

"Not really, it requires a lot of Chakra otherwise it's dangerous." Matsuri seemed indignant as Naruto finished his jutsu, placing his hand over the scrolls as another, identical set suddenly poofed into existence. Matsuri didn't even seem surprised anymore after seeing what Naruto could already do; making clones of the scrolls didn't seem like a stretch.

"Pleeeaaase? My sensei says I have loads of chakra for my age, the most in our year!" For the first time in his young life Naruto found himself on the receiving end of the dreaded 'female secret technique: Puppy Dog Eyes no Jutsu'. For a young boy with little experience with the opposite sex thanks to his zero interaction with his peers followed by four years in a temple it was too much.

"Umm well, I mean if you really promise to be careful with it and not use more than one at a time until you're sure you're ready then I guess-" He wasn't allowed to finish as he was suddenly tackled to the ground by an overjoyed Matsuri, her arms wrapped around him in her attempt at a crushing hug. Naruto found it strangely nice; he had been hugged before, but never by a girl; it was certainly... different.

"Thank you so so much! Everybody's going to be really jealous when I show them what I can do." Naruto chuckled slightly as the girl finally got off of him, blushing slightly when she noticed what she had been doing.

"Umm, you know humility is the sign of a truly great person." Matsuri's blush deepened as she shyly looked away. "Plus, I would really appreciate if you tried to keep it as secret as possible, the technique is not supposed to be known by Suna shinobi, if you go around showing people they will get suspicious of where you learnt it. I don't think they'll believe a wandering monk was kind enough to teach it to you." Matsuri looked crestfallen at that so Naruto got up, pulling her with him; he managed to surprise her with his strength.

"But anyway, how about I show you that first one? You'll need all the chakra control you can for the shadow clone technique."

* * *

Naruto spent almost a month teaching Matsuri; he had to be very careful when teaching her the shadow clone Jutsu. It turned out even after learning the surface-clinging technique she had difficulties so he had gone on to teach her how to walk on water. After that he was very grateful for his ability to pass on his chakra to other people as Matsuri could barely make two clones in a row before almost passing out from chakra exhaustion. By the end she was embarrassingly calling him Naruto-sensei but nevertheless she got it.

They didn't get a lot of time to practise between her going to the academy and her responsibilities at the orphanage; something the two shared in common. It was enlightening for Naruto to finally gain a friend around his age besides Sora and talking with a girl proved to be very new to him. With Sora he shared a very competitive rivalry; even the smallest thing could set the two off. With Matsuri on the other hand he likened it to an almost brother-sister relationship, or at least that was how he pictured it even if Matsuri felt differently.

Right now he was sitting in one of the many training grounds outside of Suna village but still within the mighty walls. He had to be there as it was one of the few grounds with trees that could grow leaves in the deserts harsh climate. The scrolls Matsuri had brought him proved to be very interesting, especially the ones about wind Chakra. Being Kaze no Kuni, Sunagakure proved to have the most comprehensive knowledge of wind-natured Chakra in the elemental nations.

Right now though he was practising the leaf-cutting exercise; he could already do it but he was working on cleaning up his cut into a perfect line. It wasn't like he could move onto the next stage anyway; there were no waterfalls within the village. Suna shinobi wanting to master wind Chakra were taken to a special oasis somewhere that was a secret. He was also working on his fire manipulation at the same time so pretty soon he had run out of leaves, forcing him to move into the training ground he was sitting in today.

He had also looked for any hint of this 'other' Chakra he kept feeling; even sitting in a sandy, almost lifeless field like this one he could see the faintest hints of that green Chakra. Unfortunately nothing like that was mentioned in any of the scrolls Matsuri had brought him. He had found references to the 'life-force of the world' but that didn't sound quite right, he was sure what he saw was a type of Chakra and life-force was supposed to be very different.

He was roused from both his thoughts and his training as he felt a set of eyes on him; looking up he saw a young girl, maybe two or three years older than him. Her sandy blonde hair matched the colour of the dusty ground beneath them and was pulled into four spiky pony-tails, not dissimilar from his. She wore a long white shirt that almost looked like a dress on her, loosely tied around her waist by a light blue sash. Right now she was staring at him with curiosity, the Suna headband tied around her neck shifting as she cocked her head.

"Hey! Who are you and why are you in my training ground?"


	7. Wind II

**Hn, Kishimoto owns the dobe**

* * *

**Sage**

_"Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light" - Hellen Keller_

* * *

Naruto stared at the older girl for a moment, not that she could really tell due to his eyes being narrowed as they were. Slowly he stood up from his meditative position, gave a small bow to the girl, and made to leave.

"I apologise, I didn't realise this area was taken. I'll leave you then." He continued to walk off, the jangling of his shakujou the only sound in the relatively small space. The girl just seemed confused at the odd blonde's very polite apology and watched as the monk walked towards the exit of the training ground. However when she notice the many split leaves all over the ground as well as a few burnt ones her eyes widened.

"Wait!" Naruto was mildly surprised as he felt a hand wrap around his arm as the girl tugged him back. She held one of the many split leaves in front of him, a small recognisable sparkle in her eyes as she smiled at him. "You're practising wind manipulation?" Naruto nodded once, his usual smile still spread across his features. He crouched to the ground, picking up a leaf before holding it out to the girl; to her amazement it quickly spit straight down the middle, the cut still slightly jagged which mildly annoyed Naruto.

"Oh wow, that was really good! Baki-sensei told me about this but he won't let me try it yet." She suddenly became shy as she looked down at her feet, noticing the newly split leaf float to the ground as Naruto released it. "Sometimes though I sneak out here to try it but all I can ever get it a tiny cut." Suddenly a mildly suspicious look alighted on her rather pretty features, in Naruto's opinion. "Who are you anyway? I don't recognise you from the academy; I would have remembered your hair." Naruto chuckled at that as he leaned against a tree, for now resting his staff to the side.

"I'm not from Suna. I'm just travelling, trying to learn all I can about chakra." The other blonde blinked at that; as far as she knew elemental manipulation was only used by shinobi.

"So you're like a monk?" Naruto smiled warmly again as he gestured to the staff which made her slightly embarrassed.

"I _am _a monk; this is part of my pilgrimage." The Suna Genin now just seemed confused; only a few minutes with Naruto and she already had more questions than answers.

"But don't monks just, you know, pray or meditate and stuff?" Naruto slowly slid down the tree to a cross-legged sitting position, it didn't seem like he would be leaving any time soon. Seeing no reason not to the girl joined him, attempting to copy his sitting position but only managing a loose facsimile.

"I think you are confusing us with priests, we don't pray." Naruto shook his head, thinking better of that "At least many of us don't, everybody is entitled to their belief after all. Being a monk is more a way of life than a faith, we simply take up the values of clean living, kindness, and peace. The girl's eyes seemed slightly wider after he finished, the smallest hints of admiration in her eyes that quickly became sceptical.

"Aren't you a little young? You seem even younger than I am." Naruto just gave her an easy grin which caught her off guard, she had expected her comment to rile him up slightly not that she had wanted to exactly; most people got annoyed when you underestimated them.

"Like I said, it's a way of life. There is no age limit, only that you understand what you are committing to; I myself am eleven." The girl settled at that although she was still slightly sceptical, that was the age of a fourth year academy student. "My name is Naruto by the way." The girl was pushed from her thoughts by a hand held out in front of her; after a moment of hesitation she took it, shaking it once.

"Temari." Again Naruto just gave an easy grin as Temari got into a more comfortable sitting position.

"It's not for everybody." At that Temari chuckled as she drew her legs underneath her, resting on one hand; the dusty ground seemingly not concerning her. "So you're interested in wind manipulation?" Temari nodded enthusiastically as she idly played with a leaf in her hands, concentrating for a moment as a tiny cut appeared where her fingers where holding it.

"Yeah, my father got me a battle fan when I graduated the academy so I want to train with it and make him proud. My dream is to be just like Pakura-sama; to be a strong Kunoichi like her and earn a name for myself." Naruto gave a small eye-smile that had a certain masked Shinobi in Konoha sneezing.

"That is a good goal, I wish you luck." He got up to leave but once again found Temari holding his arm, preventing him from leaving. This made him arch an eyebrow. The other blonde looked down for a moment, seemingly conflicted about what she was about to say.

"Would you mind helping me?" Naruto blinked before suddenly laughing causing an irritated expression to form on the older blonde's face.

"Hey, what's so funny?! Just because I'm a Kunoichi I'm not good enough for you to help? Don't you know how hard it was to ask for help from somebody two years younger than you?" Naruto stopped himself, wiping away an imaginary tear as he straightened up, his hand waving apologetically.

"Sorry, it wasn't that, but I'm just amazed you're the second person who has asked me that since I arrived here. Of course I would be happy to offer what help I can. Oh, and the first person to ask for my help was a Kunoichi too, so don't go using your gender as an excuse to get angry with people. It's unbecoming." He bent down, picking up a leaf and handing it to the girl before gently placing his hand around hers causing the older girl to blush.

"W-What are you doing?" Naruto gave her a disarming smile that made her relax slightly without entirely knowing why.

"I want you to try to split the leaf. I'm going to see what you are doing; I can read your Chakra through contact." Temari seemed unsure; she had heard of sensor ninja before but never ones that required contact; it seemed impractical. Even so she began to channel Chakra into the leaf, doing her best to change it into wind nature based on what information she had gotten from a few older Genin and Chuunin. Sure enough a tiny slice appeared where her fingers gripped the leaf which made the girl deflate, it looked so pathetic compared to all the completely split leaves littering the ground.

"Alright, I think I see your problem." Temari looked up before her face took on a hint of red as she noticed Naruto was still holding her hand. The younger boy barely noticed as he was more focused on what he had felt and was looking off to the side. "You are trying to convert your Chakra into wind while it is still inside your body. You need to be doing that at the moment it is released, not too much before or after. Try it again and keep that in mind." Doing her best to combat her growing blush Temari accepted another leaf handed to her before repeating the technique.

Naruto was pleasantly surprised as he felt her Chakra begin to shift into a specific nature just before she released it into the leaf. Temari was far more ecstatic as she saw the leaf split three-quarters of the way through, it was a rather rough, jagged cut but it was a marked improvement.

"Wow, that was amazing, just one hint and I improved so much!" She gave the younger blonde a gleaming grin and suddenly Naruto was the one who found a tad more colour in his cheeks. He had thought of Matsuri as cute before but Temari was most certainly very pretty. He was broken from his slight daze as he saw a hand waving in front of his face and a confused Temari staring at his blank expression.

"Uhh yeah, that was really good, but you are letting your Chakra build up before you release it, that can be quite dangerous when you are shifting the element. Once you convert Chakra to a different element it becomes harder to control because it is not entirely yours anymore, you have opened it up to the element itself. You need to release it as a continuous flow, but this will come with practise." Temari smiled and nodded, after being helped so much she was about ready to take the blonde's words as gospel; however a frown momentarily marred her brow.

"What do you mean it's dangerous?" Naruto thought for a moment for a way to describe it before looking up.

"Just because you perform a Jutsu does that mean you are immune to its effects?" Temari quickly shook her head in the negative; her sensei had stressed that many more tactically-minded Shinobi would use their opponents strengths to their advantage. "Well then it's no different to the Chakra that makes up the technique. While not impossible it is highly difficult to control an unpredictable element like lightning or wind inside one's body." Temari just nodded at the logic, she found Naruto to be a very good teacher; he found simple ways to explain things.

"Now if you want to improve the smoothness of the cut..." he picked up another leaf and split it quickly, holding it up to compare with Temari's. "...You need to focus on sharpening your chakra. Imagine it like two of the finest swords scraping against one another, sharp and fine." Temari once again nodded before grabbing a few leaves and retreating further away into the training ground. Naruto returned to his meditative position before fishing out one of the scrolls Matsuri had given him.

A few hours passed as Naruto calmly continued to read his scroll about chakra; there wasn't a lot he didn't already know but it was still interesting. Over that time he had heard many cries of success as well as irritated shouts of frustration; in either case they brought small smiles to his lips. He was sure Sora and Temari would have much to talk about, both being avid wind enthusiasts. He briefly wondered how a confrontation would go but was interrupted as he felt somebody shake his shoulders.

He looked up to see Temari, a victorious and self-satisfied smile on her face as she held a leaf in front of her. She put it between both of her palms before gaining a look of intense concentration. After a few moments she looked up and opened her palms, between them, cut down the middle with very wonky and jagged line, was the leaf. However Naruto was very much impressed, she had managed to completely split the leaf; her affinity to wind must be incredibly strong.

"I did it!" Naruto returned the beaming grin Temari was giving him with a smaller, more reserved one of his own.

"That's wonderful, you improved really quickly." Temari just gave a small snort of agreement as she plopped down next to the seated monk.

"Yeah, but I couldn't have gotten nearly this far without your help." Naruto gave a small conceding nod before grinning.

"All you have to do now is work on straightening your cut and doing it without having to concentrate so much and you'll be ready to move onto the next stage. I'm sure your sensei will be very surprised." Temari almost gleamed as he said that before looking across at the blonde curiously.

"There's a next step?" The younger blonde gave a small nod as he began to absently draw out a waterfall with the end of his Shakujou.

"Yes, you have to split a waterfall with your Chakra" Temari gulped at that as she saw Naruto sketch out a small stickman in the sand underneath the waterfall. "This first stage was about control and precision, the next stage is about power and maintaining a steady, constant stream of wind Chakra." Temari seemed daunted by such an imposing task while Naruto appeared nonplussed. "It's getting late." Temari was roused from her trepidation as she looked up; sure enough the sun was beginning to dip over behind the buildings.

"Oh, I have to get home!" She shot to her feet and began to race towards the entrance of the training ground; however she suddenly turned and waved. "Will I see you again?" Naruto shrugged with a lopsided smile.

"Hey, anything can happen." Temari smiled cutely before turning and running of back home leaving an amused blonde to puzzle how he managed to get into these situations.

* * *

It turned out Naruto did see Temari again, more than a few times seeing as it was her training ground and Naruto didn't bother to move. After the first day though there wasn't really much he could actively help her with besides a few pointers. Steadily they both improved, Naruto slightly faster due to starting earlier, his better chakra control and understanding the nature of wind Chakra better thanks to his reading. He had recommended Temari read as well but she was more the type to learn by repeated practise, very much like Sora and how Naruto used to be. He still learnt mainly by that method but now he liked to try and understand what he was doing better.

One day about a week into their strange meetings Temari brought her fan along. Naruto hadn't known what to expect when the older blonde mentioned her battle fan but he hadn't been expecting an enormous steel bar that was as tall as the girl was herself. However as he expected the girl had quite a bit of difficulty moving the enormous wind-weapon; suddenly Naruto had something new to teach her.

Slowly Temari got the hang of reinforcing her muscles with Chakra as well as timing bursts of energy to increase the power behind her swings. So she was able to swing the large fan around as if it were made of paper like its more traditional counterparts. Apparently her father had been incredibly impressed when she had shown him but thankfully she heeded the blonde's advice and didn't mention the monk. When Naruto had found out her father was the Kazekage himself he wasn't entirely sure what to think.

It didn't particularly change his opinion of the girl like Temari had expected, he believed everybody was their own person, regardless of who their parent were. The older blonde was pleased by that, usually people would avoid her due to her being the 'honoured daughter of Yondaime-sama'. Of course there was another glaring reason why people avoided her but that had nothing to do with her father.

Naruto didn't neglect his time with Matsuri either but between her time at the academy and Temari's obligations with missions he didn't see either as much as they both probably wanted. So far the two had yet to meet thanks to some strategic planning on the blonde's part. He wasn't sure how the Shinobi of the village or the Kazekage himself would react to him giving pointers or in some cases, Jutsu, to the girls, especially as one was his daughter. He wanted to keep his involvement as quiet as possible and that meant keeping his two 'students' apart.

One day he was just finishing up a scroll that he was particularly captivated with. It described old Suna Shinobi using techniques known as 'free-form wind manipulation', what used to be the highest calibre in that discipline. It involved saturating the area in wind Chakra that the Shinobi would then directly control with their Chakra; no hand seals were involved. However due to the difficulty, large reserves required and years of dedicated training necessary it had become a dead art. There was nobody in the village that still used it or even attempted it anymore and only a handful of Shinobi had ever managed it.

Suddenly he was interrupted as somebody new landed in the training ground. Luckily he was underneath the shade of a tree, the sun at his back, hiding him from sight somewhat. The newcomer, a boy perhaps a year older than him with spiky brown hair and an almost perpetual scowl on his features, immediately made their way over to Temari. The girl had been dutifully practising the leaf-cutting exercise but quickly hid the results behind her, not wanting anybody to find out about her training just yet.

Naruto saw the two speak in hushed but urgent tones before both raced off suddenly back towards the village. Knowing he wasn't going to get anything done now that he was curious, Naruto got up and followed after them quietly, once again silencing his shakujou. It didn't take Naruto long to lose them in the midst of Suna's winding streets and throngs of people. He had gotten used to the village somewhat but Temari and the other boy had moved off at Shinobi paces and Naruto didn't want to draw attention to himself.

However soon he noticed the streets becoming quiet as less and less people moved about outside. Continuing to walk in that direction he soon found himself completely alone on the streets, which was odd as the sun was only just beginning to move past the horizon; more people should have been out. He finally reached a small park enclosed on all sides by buildings; it was more a strip of bare land really, just a sandy space with no buildings. At the centre of the park was a lone boy, probably around the same age as Naruto was.

Curious as to why the boy was out here all alone Naruto approached him, now able to pick put details. He had dull red hair, closer to brown really, framing a set of teal green eyes and pale white skin. There were strange black rings around the boy's eyes that reminded the blonde of his own whisker marks. Most curiously the kanji for love was seemingly tattooed on the boy's forehead above his left eye in bright red.

He was sitting cross-legged with his hands in his lap, just staring ahead into space almost lifelessly. Occasionally he would mutter something Naruto couldn't quite make out in a low gravelly tone. Slowly Naruto settled down into a seated position of his own across from the boy, neither saying anything for a while. After a minute or to Naruto closed his eyes, somewhat enjoying the perfect quiet that permeated the area. He had missed this from the temple, unable to find many places of solace in the bustling Shinobi village.

"Why are you here?" The other boy's voice finally shattered the comfortable silence Naruto had lapsed into; his grave voice sounding emotionless.

"This seemed like as good a spot as any to meditate; it is rare to find such solitude in a village like this." The other boy looked up, regarding Naruto coolly with bloodshot eyes; it was apparent he hadn't slept in some time.

"People avoid me, they know better than to come near me. Their blood stains my sand when they do." Naruto looked up, his eyes opening slightly; he wasn't naïve, he saw the redhead slowly push his Chakra into the sand around them. The time he had spent meditating he had been absorbing it all in a meter radius. There was something about the boy's Chakra that was familiar to him; the only way to describe it would be a less potent version of his own.

"Why?" Gaara blinked once, his face still an emotionless mask; Naruto wasn't sure if that was to do with his mind-set or whatever the thin layer of chakra covering his body was.

"Mother demands their blood and doing so proves my existence." Naruto nodded slowly, as if he were accepting the statement at face value, actually mildly surprising the redhead.

"You think killing proves your existence? That taking a life somehow increases the value of your own?" The redhead growled suddenly as the sands around him began to writhe violently, save for a small circle around Naruto where they were perfectly still.

"If Mother demands it then I must do as she says otherw- Aghh!" The boy suddenly gripped his head right over the tattoo; he was obviously in pain as he began to mumble to himself in hushed, apologetic tones. As suddenly as it happened it seemed to stop, the boy looked back up, murder in his eyes as he glared at the blonde. Naruto continued to calmly observe all of this, not particularly straining himself to absorb the chakra in the sand around him.

That was the great thing about the Preta path, it wasn't like normal Jutsu, the more he used it the more energised he felt and he could vent excess Chakra directly into the ground. This of course had the added benefit of acting like a buffer to the other boy's Chakra, making it more difficult for him to affect the sand. This silent staring match as the two boys asserted their dominance without words lasted for about another minute. Although it felt considerably longer. Finally the other boy let out a grin and even though it didn't even hold a drop of warmth Naruto returned it.

"Mother says you are strong, she wants to see your eyes. She screams at me to rip open your eyes!" Naruto raised an eyebrow at that, curious now to who this 'mother' was and how she was so well informed. Suddenly long tendrils of sand lashed out at Naruto, obviously aiming to crush him into the ground. However just like before as soon as they came within a certain distance of him they fell limply to the ground, disintegrating into the lifeless sand grains they should be before being reflected by some sort of invisible barrier.

"You are strong but you cannot deny Mother her desired blood!" The boy continued to throw attack after attack at Naruto who remained perfectly still, focusing on keeping his sand out of range of him.

"You know I don't even know your name." The other boy paused in a rare lull of violence as the sand began to sway more neutrally.

"I am Gaara no Sabaku." Naruto chuckled slightly as another sand whip fell uselessly to the ground around him.

"What an appropriate moniker, I am Naruto Uzumaki, could you please stop attacking me now?" It seemed Gaara somewhat saw the futility in his actions, nothing he was doing could even faze the blonde. It unnerved the redhead; the only person who did not fear him like this was his father. The two shared that same unsettling calm while in his presence, the only difference was that Naruto's expression was warm while his father's was eternally cold.

"Why do you not fear me Uzumaki?" For once Gaara's voice lacked the bloodthirsty edge; there was genuine curiosity in his words.

"What reason do I have to?" The redhead blinked in surprise; the blonde was right, none of his attacks had even come close to affecting him.

"How are you so strong?" Naruto sighed but the smile never left his face; behind his cheery demeanour though he was alert. He knew the boy in front of him was obviously anything but stable and to let his guard down now would be foolish. He may have been kind and wanted to help the boy but he was anything but an idiot; Chiriku had seen fit to beat that out of him quickly enough.

"That is a difficult question to answer. Some might say it is due to circumstances out of my control, or maybe it is in my blood? I like to think it is because I train hard to better myself." Gaara shook his head, looking like a dog unsatisfied with a meal.

"No no no! What drives you?! What allows you to be so strong?!" Naruto blinked before looking down in thought; Gaara used the opportunity to try and attack the blonde again but the attempts were quickly rebuked.

"I want to understand." Gaara's attacks all stopped at once as the redhead once again regarded Naruto carefully.

"What do you mean?" Naruto looked up, a kind smile adorning his features.

"I wish to understand the world, people, Chakra; I want to learn and know these things. To do so I have to grow stronger. To understand people is to understand the world and it is only through understanding will we reach peace. I don't want to see the people who are precious to me get hurt or suffer so I have to understand in order to strive for peace." Gaara looked down at that, his hair shadowing his eyes as he seemed to contemplate the words.

"Prove it to me." His words were nothing but a whisper, barely carried by the breeze over to Naruto. "Prove to me that your method of gaining power is superior. I fight because I refuse to let my existence be erased. Now prove it to me! **FIGHT ME UZUMAKI!" **Even as Naruto watched the sand around Gaara began to congregate, draw together as if by some unseen will. Now Naruto finally understood; the thin shell around Gaara's body prevented him from seeing but now, as the sand began to form into some misshapen creature, he could see it all too clearly.

Gaara was a Jinchuuriki like him.

The signs were all there, flowing through the sand was the same red Chakra that Naruto had and Sora once possessed. However it was not as thick or as potent as the Kyuubi's chakra, not surprising considering it had to be a less powerful Bijuu inside of him by default. Naruto sighed slowly; right now he was looking into a mirror of what he might have been. He could only imagine what must have happened to Gaara to make him this way; it was also obvious his Bijuu was affecting him, no doubt this 'mother' he spoke of.

"I don't intent to fight you Gaara." The redhead just laughed maniacally, drool beginning to drop from his extended mouth as his features took on the likeness of a raccoon. Naruto had done his research since finding out about his status as a Jinchuuriki, what he was looking at was the vessel of the Ichibi no Tanuki, the one-tail.

"**It's not your choice. NOW MOTHER WANTS YOUR BLOOD!" **Naruto knew this was a problem, Gaara had begun to leak off his Bijuu's Chakra in droves. Naruto was doing his best to absorb it from the air but he knew it was only a matter of time before this was investigated. Unfortunately that meant he had to make this quick.

"Very well, I am sorry then." Naruto calmly raised a single hand as Gaara's long sandy tail began to sway menacingly, the point sharpened in preparation of impaling the blonde. Naruto opened his eyes fully for quite possibly the first time since arriving in Sunagakure no Sato but in his bloodlust Gaara wasn't even paying attention. One of the rings around his eyes suddenly seemed to contract slightly as a rush of intense chakra moved through his body.

"Shinra Tensei." He didn't even shout the name of the technique so Gaara was all the more oblivious as he was suddenly struck by an incredible, invisible force. His feet remained firmly stuck to the ground by Chakra he had already been channelling but a great deal of his protective sand layer had been blown off, enough to expose Gaara's body. Just as calmly Naruto raised his other hand up, this time instead of his palm being flat out it was cupped slightly.

"Banshou Ten'in." Focusing on the small redhead as opposed to the mass of sand re-congregating on his body Naruto gently pulled his hand back an inch. The effect was immediate as Gaara suddenly flew forward, his eyes wide in shock as his sand cloak was left where it was, twitching slightly in confusion. This confusion meant he could do nothing, nor could his sand react fast enough as he suddenly found himself being held up by Naruto in one hand.

The blonde suddenly dropped the frightened redhead which left him sprawled out on the ground, his eyes fearfully looking up at Naruto. It only lasted a second before Naruto gently pressed the end of his staff against the Jinchuuriki's forehead. Immediately Gaara found he could not move, his whole body was paralyzed, he couldn't even move his eyes or speak. Even so the sheer terror in his eyes as Naruto walked over and crouched down beside him was unmistakable.

"I am not going to hurt you Gaara, but at the same time I cannot allow you to hurt me. Don't worry, this paralysis will wear off in about an hour, or I can release it myself if you promise to calm down." Surprisingly there was no hint of patronization in his voice and his expression only spoke of genuine concern. Gaara had never felt so vulnerable in his life; here this boy could end his life with less effort than it would take to scrape dirt from his sandal and Gaara didn't even have his sand armour. Naruto didn't wait for a response as he once again tapped Gaara on the forehead with his staff.

"Why?" Naruto regarded Gaara for a moment as he got back up, the sands immediately swarming to him and congealing back into his ultimate defence.

"Because we share a common burden, and I know better than anybody that you don't deserve any more suffering." Suddenly the two were interrupted as a Suna Shinobi dropped down from a nearby rooftop, looking hesitantly at Gaara and suspiciously at Naruto.

"Gaara, you will go see your father immediately." The redhead looked at the man for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly before widening in shock. Naruto had placed his hand on the boy's shoulder, the sand falling away harmlessly at his touch. His automatic defence hadn't even quivered at the blonde's approach and for the first time in his entire life Gaara felt the warmth of human contact. He looked to Naruto with an amazement that was only mirrored by the Shinobi standing there watching and after a moment of deliberation he turned and walked off.

When he was gone Naruto turned his attention to the older Shinobi who had interrupted. He was a tall man with the standard attire for a Suna Jounin with the addition of a white linen veil covering half of his face. In turn the man glared at the monk, simultaneously trying to ascertain his motives and understand exactly what he just did. Finally with a look of resolution the man nodded curtly before gesturing after Gaara's retreating form.

"I believe the Kazekage will also want to speak with you." Naruto gave a calm nod before gesturing for the man to lead the way which he did after a small frown flickered across his features.


	8. Wind III

**Yes mother, I-I'll tell them! Digi doesn't own Naruto... BUT MOTHER WANTS HIS BLOOD!**

* * *

**Sage**

_"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." – Martin Luther King Jnr. _

* * *

The two moved at a reasonable pace through the still quiet streets of Suna, Naruto's staff jingling with each step. The Jounin accompanying him cast him glances every now and then; to check he was still there or for some other reason the blonde wasn't sure. Naruto was thinking about what the Kazekage might talk to him about, or what he wanted to say to the Kazekage. He may be a monk but he knew if a Kage suspected somebody of being a danger to their village they would not hesitate to deal with that problem. Sadly he knew that applied to the Hokage as well, one of the reasons his thoughts on Konoha were so mixed right now.

"So why did you wait so long?" the blonde's voice cut through the evening air like a knife, shattering the uneasy silence that had settled there despite his warm tone. The Shinobi just looked down at him for a moment before looking ahead, either ignoring the monk or confused by his words. "You know when my Chakra touched Gaara's I could sense everything his sand was connected to, including you hiding up on the rooftop." It had been a rather odd experience at first, suddenly having his senses stretched out as his Chakra connected with the Ichibi Jinchuuriki's.

"I don't know what you mean." Naruto ignored the comment, he had definitely felt the Jounin hiding up on the rooftop; he had been there since Gaara had begun to partially transform.

"I wonder if you were under orders not to interfere." They continued walking at the same steady pace but the glances Naruto was getting were less frequent. "Maybe you were curious, it is a rather fundamental human desire to know more." Again he got no reaction from the stoic Jounin as they continued to lazily wind through the streets. "Perhaps you were simply afraid, although of what I am not sure." That time Naruto got a reaction, a subtle flex of the older man's hands that denoted his irritation.

Learning body language had come quite quickly to Naruto at the temple, it was not only a useful skill to pick up, it was great when trying to ascertain somebody's motives. When you lived in a compound filled with people all wearing the same thing and most having shaven head, it was helpful to know so you could identify people. There was also the fact that monks tended to be rather calm and collected people and for Naruto to annoy somebody he had to know what they were feeling.

Naruto wasn't sure why they had taken this rather slow, civilian pace; he could very easily hop across rooftops like Shinobi could. Using Chakra to enhance one's muscles to run faster and jump higher as well as using it to stick to surfaces was pretty fundamental. It was part of the process of controlling the Chakra running through one's body. Monks did this primarily to slow their body's internal functions like heart rate, breathing and metabolism allowing them to meditate for hours or even days on end. Naruto even knew a man who had perfected it to the point where, if he stayed unmoving, he could meditate for a month between meals with no ill effects.

He put it down to either the Shinobi underestimating him, not knowing about his skills or not wanting Naruto to know that he knew about his skills. Either way the monk was fairly content to just amble on besides the man; they were in a part of Suna Naruto hadn't been around much so it was nice to take it all in while the streets were quiet like this. That was another thing, even when the streets in a Shinobi village were 'empty' there would still be activity from the ninja. Tonight Naruto saw nothing, no Chakra signatures, no roof-hopping Shinobi, nothing; it was curious.

"My name is Naruto by the way." The Jounin looked around briefly, staring at the blonde for a few seconds with narrowed eyes before turning back around.

"Baki." It was more of a grunt than a word, it was clear the man didn't enjoy Naruto's company. The blond simply raised a brow; so this was Temari's sensei. Finally the pair made it to probably the largest building in Suna; the enormous spherical structure bearing the kanji for wind which told Naruto it was the Kazekage tower; at least if things worked the same here as they did in Konoha. He had been outside of this building a few times before but never inside; the monk liked to consider it a new opportunity presenting itself.

With a smile Naruto quickly followed Baki through the various corridors and stairs of the large structure, somewhere towards the middle. Naruto assumed it was for making protecting the Kazekage easier, more walls between him and potential threats. The idea seemed laughable to Naruto, the Kage was supposed to be the strongest in the village wasn't he? Finally they were stopped outside of a door by a young pretty assistant who looked at the blonde for a moment before motioning to his Shakujou.

"No weapons in the Kazekage office." She reached out to take it but Naruto withdrew his hand slightly making both Baki and the other Shinobi 'hidden' in the shadows tense.

"I wouldn't touch her if I were you; she's a little temperamental about who holds her." The assistant simply stared at him incredulously for a moment but relaxed as Naruto simply set the long staff against a wall. He had given the warning, what happened after that was not his concern. He was quickly patted down to make sure he wasn't carrying anymore weapons which once again made the blond roll his eyes, not that anybody could see.

"You can go in now." Despite the various annoyances Naruto smiled amicably at the woman before once again following Baki into the room. Naruto had to admit the room itself was rather nice; the walls were painted a calming violet with various pictures across the walls, mostly scenery shots of Suna and the surrounding desert. A large ornate desk sat towards the back of the room, sat behind it was a middle-aged man staring at him with curiosity, yet he exuded an air of power and confidence.

He had rusty brown hair that spiked out; it was more controlled than his son's but there was no mistaking the resemblance between this man and Gaara. The revelation that Temari was the Jinchuuriki's sister came as bit of surprise; she had never even once mentioned a brother. Passing those thoughts for now Naruto moved to the centre of the room before bowing slightly. It was enough to show the appropriate level of submission but not to the point of being sarcastic or a sycophant; the man seemed like the type who needed to feel secure as the strongest in the room.

"Kazekage-sama, I'm honoured you would call for me." The man's studious eyes took in Naruto's form without missing a single detail; his gaze hovering over the blonde's narrowed eyes for a moment. Finally he seemed somewhat satisfied and turned to Baki who had taken up a rigid position in the corner of the room.

"You did not mention the boy was a monk." Baki subtly gulped but the action was definitely not lost on anybody in the room.

"Apologies Kazekage-sama." The powerful man's gaze only lingered on the nervous man for a single second before returning to the blonde in front of him.

"What is your interest in my son?" Naruto blinked at the bluntness of the question; then again he rationalised this was hardly a meeting between Kage or Daimyo where subtleties were traded like Kunai on a battlefield. As far as the Kazekage was concerned Naruto was nothing more than a monk with some interesting abilities.

"I have no more interest in your son Kazekage-sama than I do in any other person where we can exchange polite conversation and even words of wisdom." The man's eyebrows raised slightly at that; the blonde's words were smooth and the man detected no hint of a lie.

"Why did you approach him in the first place?" Naruto continued to smile warmly, his eyes remaining as narrowed as ever.

"I saw a boy my own age alone in a park, like any inquisitive person I wanted to understand why he was alone." Again the Kazekage was pleasantly surprised by the slick answer; the blonde seemed to answer honestly yet his words were vague.

"Would you have still approached the boy had you known he has killed, multiple time?" To the man's slight disappointment Naruto didn't even bat an eye at that, seeming no more concerned than if he had told him Gaara's hobby was cultivating cacti.

"It is unfortunate the events that lead to a man killing, yet condemning him before you attempt to understand why a man does what he does is just as bad as allowing him to perform the deed itself." The Kazekage again raised a brow as he detected what could have been a jab at his abilities to watch over his son, yet the monks words hid that well. "Anyway, from what I saw Gaara's sand acts in self-defence or in the presence of what he perceives as a threat; am I right?" Upon the Kazekage not answering him Naruto took that as a yes.

"Plus, I don't believe you can truly blame him; I'm sure I would be tightly wound if I had an eight-story Tanuki whispering in my ear all day." At that everybody in the room tensed, besides Naruto of course while the ruler of Suna continued to observe him carefully, finding the monk increasingly interested.

"And what would you mean by that?" Naruto chuckled slightly, noticing Baki narrow his eyes at the perceived lack of respect from the periphery of his vision.

"Please Kazekage-sama, I may be young but I am not naive; this is not my first encounter with a Jinchuuriki." That wasn't a total lie at least; Sora was technically one. "From his attacks and the fact we are in the desert makes it likely he contains the Ichibi no Tanuki." Kazekage seemed impressed, for one so young to make such an astute observation, about such a rare subject no less, was remarkable.

"And knowing this makes you see him no differently?" Naruto finally showed an emotion other than calm serenity as he raised an eyebrow in slight amusement.

"As far as I understand it drawing a storage seal on one's stomach does not turn them into a kunai." The Kazekage leaned forward in his chair, steepling his fingers as he gazed at Naruto intently.

"I suppose you are right young monk." Naruto nodded in a slightly exaggerated show of appreciation that only served to make the man before him amused rather than angry.

"If I may Kazekage." After a few more seconds of intense staring the spiky-haired man nodded curtly. "Why has nothing been done about Gaara's condition?" There was silence in the office for a few moments as the man seemed to weigh up his response; that, or he enjoyed making people wait to assert his dominance. Neither would have surprised Naruto from what he had seen so far.

"Gaara is a Shinobi of this village; he will continue to be so until his usefulness as a weapon that can be used to protect this village ceases. Other than that I have no real reason to tell you anything monk; you may be a spy, most likely from Konoha with that fire emblem on your robes. You are only standing here out of my grace and curiosity; many have never received the honour nor never will." Naruto just continued to smile, outwardly unconcerned by the information, inwardly rather bored by the back and forth. He may have been tempered by the temple but he was still an eleven year old and politics would only interest him as long as it was relevant.

"I am from the fire temple in Hi no Kuni, I proudly wear this symbol to both honour my home and my master just as any Shinobi proudly adorns the symbol for his village on his headband." The Kazekage merely nodded absently with a rather dismissive flick of his hand that actually rather irked Naruto. He would have thought a Kage of all people would have understood the importance of a symbol.

"In either case I want you to stay away from my son. If my Shinobi ever see you approach him I will not hesitate in removing you from my village. Understood, monk of Hi no Kuni?" The blonde tilted his head slightly as his smile widened a little; unsettling the Jounin in the corner at how calm somebody so young could be in the presence of a Kage.

"Of course Kazekage-sama." With that the leader of Suna motioned for him to leave as his eyes drifted back to the paperwork on his desk. As Naruto reached the door though the man called out in a calm and perfectly level voice, not even looking up from his work.

"That includes my daughter Naruto Uzumaki." At that the blonde paused in his step, if only for the slightest of moments causing the Kazekage to smirk ever so slightly.

Outside the office Naruto and Baki found a curious sight; the assistant lay sprawled out on the ground, softly snoring with sweat covering her body. Naruto's Shakujou lay to the side of her, thankfully not touching her, as well as a Suna Chuunin who was in a similar state. The rest of the people in the room were staring at the simple wooden staff like it was cursed while Naruto simply sighed deeply.

"I told her she was temperamental, nobody ever just takes me for my word." Without another word he reached forward and picked up the staff, raising a brow at the collective intake of breath from the others in the room. However when Naruto didn't even seem concerned by the 'Demon Shakujou' he got a few strange looks before everybody cautiously returned to what they were doing. Naruto turned back to Baki to see if he would be escorted from the building but was surprised instead found himself looking into a set of teal green eyes.

He wasn't the only one, Naruto had never seen a room clear so fast before, the people looking terrified of the young Jinchuuriki as the hurried from the room. A few were even shooting Naruto piteous looks even as they themselves fled from Gaara's sight. Naruto noticed the boy now supported a large gourd on his back which he could see was laced with incredible amounts of Chakra. The two simply stared at one another, neither saying a word while Baki watched from the side, waiting to see what Naruto would do.

Surprisingly Gaara gave a small inclination of his head with slightly narrowed eyes before walking on into the building. Both Naruto and Baki raised an eyebrow at that but it was the Jounin who let out a small sigh of relief. The wind user would never admit it to anybody but Gaara scared him, in fact the only people that weren't scared of the Jinchuuriki were his father due to his ability to suppress Shukaku and Naruto, who simply seemed unnaturally calm in these situations.

After a moment of silence Baki realised Naruto was looking at him oddly before he remembered why he was still here. He motioned with his hand for the blonde to follow him and Naruto did after giving a small but warm smile. Baki continued to watch him as they left; it was just unnatural.

* * *

The next few days were rather amusing for the blonde; the Kazekage had seen fit to reward him with an entourage, from the shadows of course. The blonde had been finally allowed to let his prankster side out a little after suppressing it for too long. He rather enjoyed the memories he got ever night as his shadow clone would dispel. They varied from wandering around the village to meditating from hours, but that wasn't the point. It was the satisfaction from knowing his watchers were bored out of their minds every day watching him do absolutely nothing.

In the meantime Naruto would continue to go to his out of the way training ground to read and occasionally train Matsuri in whatever she asked of him, as long as he believed she wouldn't hurt herself. She continued to be an attentive and diligent pupil, soaking up information and instructions with enthusiasm and determination. Honestly he believed her to be a better Shinobi than the fools chasing around a clone all day without a clue.

He knew the feeling of being underestimated and it irked him to no end; usually because it was about his height or age. However he also understood when such things were useful, now being one of those times. Nobody expected that he was able to form fully functioning and solid clones and if they even suspected, the fact he could maintain it all day convinced them otherwise. It should have been an impossible feat for a normal eleven year old; he got that from Matsuri who could maintain a single clone for about five minutes before needing a recharge.

Of course Naruto was no normal eleven year old.

Strangely though today he wasn't met in his training ground by Matsuri, or even Temari, although he expected the girl had been warned away from him by her father. He felt his Chakra in the sand beneath him intruded upon long before Gaara even came into view. Curiously he neither sensed nor saw any kind Shinobi presence around the young Jinchuuriki; it made him wonder just how unstable the boy was if people weren't even willing to watch the village weapon.

"Uzumaki." Naruto gave a small inclination of his head as Gaara sat down opposite from him, maintaining about five metres between them. The atmosphere was slightly tense despite Naruto's warm smile and Gaara's contemplative silence, both boys were wary of the other's power.

"Gaara." Again there was silence as Naruto maintained his meditative pose and Gaara just stared at him. If the blonde wasn't so well-controlled he might have found it creepy; however he knew Gaara was simply socially awkward through no fault of his own.

"Why did you ask the Kazekage about me?" Naruto raised an eyebrow when Gaara did not refer to the man as his father but considering how the man felt about his son he should not have been all that surprised they didn't share a healthy father-son relationship.

"Because like I said I want to understand you." Gaara narrowed his eyes; he obviously was not all that satisfied with the answer.

"What did you mean we share a burden?" Naruto simply smiled amicably but with his staff he began to draw out the kanji for nine with his Shakujou almost absently; Gaara just observed with a his usual emotionless facade however the blonde did notice his eyes widen for just a fraction of a second.

"So that is why you are so powerful." Naruto gave a small chuckle, his eyes crinkling even more than they usually did.

"I know your ability to sense people's Chakra through your sand, did I use any that was not my own?" To anybody outside the conversation the question would sound rather inane, Gaara simply stayed silent as he mulled that over.

"Then what is it? I have to know so that I can weigh your existence against my own." Naruto sighed as he stood to his feet, for once his face losing the slightly fake serene smile as he looked to the ground.

"I have already told you Gaara, I am strong because I cannot afford not to be. There are people I find precious and if I am unable to protect them, either by losing my life or being unable to find the peace that would bring them safety, then I have failed not only myself, but them as well. I hold their hopes on my shoulders right alongside my own and it is a burden that I gladly carry and would never allow to be dropped." Gaara continued to stare at him, the sand rising up around him to push him into a standing position.

"So you fight for the people you care about, the people you... love?" The concept seemed alien to the redhead, even as he was saying it like he couldn't quite understand the concept.

"Well Gaara?" The Ichibi Jinchuuriki looked up to see Naruto staring at him levelly, his staff in one hand with his other hanging loosely by his side. "Do you intend to fight me?" Naruto could already feel the Sand beneath him begin to writhe; it seemed with Gaara's permission or not the Bijuu inside of him seemed incredibly eager to fight.

"N-No." Even the way Gaara said that sounded unsure, as if he doubted his own voice. Naruto only offered him a small friendly smile as he once again returned to a seated position.

"Good." He could now see the intense emotions running through Gaara's mind as his emotionless mask dropped, shattered like his sand armour. It was obvious the boy felt incredibly conflicted but Naruto couldn't be sure if that was within himself or with his Bijuu. Every few moments of so he would grip his head as if in great pain but it seemed he was fighting it, refusing the voice that had prayed on his fears and desires from a young age.

"How would you like to sleep Gaara?" The redhead suddenly looked up, surprise and shock now evident in his wide, bloodshot eyes. "That's right isn't it, the voice keeps you awake?" Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly as he saw another flicker of emotion dance across the boy's face. "No, that's not it, you're afraid of falling asleep." Finally the blonde understood as a sympathetic gleam reached his eyes, smiling sadly at his fellow Jinchuuriki.

"That's it though isn't it? You aren't as uncaring as you try to appear; if you were you would have no trouble with going to sleep and relinquishing control to the Ichibi." Naruto stood up and walked towards Gaara slowly, gently crouching down in front of the boy before placing a hand on his shoulder. Gaara saw it coming this time but still flinched at the contact he wasn't used to. "You still have the capacity to care about people Gaara, love more than just yourself." The blonde sighed deeply as he once again rose to his full, if unimpressive height.

"Remember Gaara, if you live only _for _yourself, you will die _by _yourself." He offered out a hand towards his fellow container who simple stared at the appendage as if it were being offered by some incomprehensible alien life form.

"You could find a way to let me sleep?" Naruto just gave one small smile as he closed the distance and clasped Gaara's hand in his own.

"I promise, and I never go back on my promises." Gaara stared between him and the hand being offered before offering the first weak smile he had ever given since the death of his uncles.

"Thank you Uzum-" He blinked suddenly before tightening his grip on the blonde's hand and staring into his eyes. "Thank you Naruto." The blonde merely gave a foxy grin.

* * *

Naruto quietly sat in his customary meditative position, his back leaned up against a tall tree in a clearing not too far from the edge of the forest he was in. It had been six days since his departure from Suna and in that time he had crossed the deserts back towards Hi no Kuni before camping out in a forest on the border of Kaze no Kuni and Kawa no Kuni. Currently he was unmoving, still to the world around him as his consciousness was elsewhere.

"**So my esteemed Jailor returns, I had begun to thought you had forgotten me." **The only response the giant fox received was a light chuckle and a small jingle that froze the Bijuu in place.

"You say it like I could ever forget the very large and very angry fox in my stomach." The Blonde cast a curious eye up the fox for a moment. "Speaking of which, did you get big-"

"**Cease your meaningless speech Ningen! Where did you get that staff?" **As it spoke the Kyuubi leaned down so its face was as close to the bars as it could get without pressing up against them. Naruto looked down at the staff, surprised for a moment that it had followed him into the seal, it had never done that before. Then again it had become such an integral part of his day he shouldn't be too surprised; he almost always had it on hand now.

"It was a gift from Master Chukaku." Realisation dawned across the blonde's features as he suddenly looked up at the Kyuubi with a smirk. "But you recognise it because it was the Sage's, don't you?" He chuckled slightly to himself; at least it confirmed the validity of the temple's claims to its origins. The fox merely growled, a deep low sound that had Naruto's robes fluttering slightly in the breeze it created.

"**How dare you hold that staff so carelessly." **Naruto was actually a little frightened for once; the Kyuubi had always been menacing but for the first time Naruto really _felt _the hatred coating his words, aimed directly at him. **"How dare you lay a hand on anything he touched Ningen." **Naruto tried to remain calm against this new side of the Kyuubi, offering his usual serene smile, even though it was slightly strained.

"You know it is unhealthy to hold onto the past so vehemently; it is better to cherish memories than cling to them desperately." The fox's great eyes narrowed very dangerously as its claws began scraping at the bars separating them.

"**Your preaching might work on Shukaku's container but your meaningless words are nothing but wind in my ears."** Naruto looked up, surprised at that while the fox returned to its somewhat normal, cold disposition, the staff forgotten for now. **"Don't look so surprised Ningen, my Chakra leaking into your frail body gives me a limited understanding of what is going on outside. I could feel that pitiful Tanuki's presence before you even saw that boy." **Naruto reigned in his shock for the moment, the Kyuubi's words at least made sense.

"That's a strange way to address your kin." His response was a loud and rather vicious snort that made him crinkle his nose slightly. The Kyuubi had never been this close before and up close his breath was not the most pleasant experience on Naruto's senses.

"**The rest of my kind are beneath my notice, barely worth the attention their meaningless existences bring."** Naruto cocked his head at that, wondering how anybody could be so callous about family.

"Maybe you should be glad you have family at all." Again the fox grunted in his direction, baring his teeth to show his displeasure.

"**The moment I begin calling those weaklings my family is the moment I admit you are worthy of respect." **From the tone of his voice the Kyuubi obviously didn't think that was ever going to happen. Naruto just tapped the side of his head with the Shakujou causing the Kyuubi to flinch too subtly to see.

"You know behind bars like this you don't look all that powerful yourself you know." The great fox stared at him with unblinking red eyes, his glistening white teetch showing as its lips pulled back.

"**I am a being far more powerful than you will ever hope to imagine; I am pure Chakra given consciousness, power incarnate!" **Naruto just grinned at the fox causing it to stop its rant for a moment.

"So you really are just made of pure Chakra? Good to know." And with that the blonde suddenly faded from the seal the Kyuubi somehow feeling it had been played as it lay back down, not bothering to walk back into the darkness of the cell this time as a frown took up residence on its brow.

* * *

Naruto cracked open his eyes just as somebody walked into the clearing, the ground at his feet twitching in a familiar way.

"It's good to see you made it Gaara." The redhead just had his usual emotionless mask on which Naruto didn't mind; it would take more than a few days to give Gaara some semblance of normality.

"It was not all that difficult to leave the village." This time Naruto did raise an eyebrow; he knew Gaara was powerful, if not in general then at least for his age, but leaving a Shinobi village should never be that simple. Of course this was coming from the boy who actually walked straight out of Konoha; sometimes he wondered just what those guards were doing that night.

"The village and its walls are built on and from sand." He offered no more for an explanation so Naruto just shrugged. It hadn't taken all that much for Gaara to leave the village; he didn't particularly care for anything there. He had no relationships with his family, the people hated and feared him and his own father had ordered his assassination countless times. For the sand-wielding Jinchuuriki it hadn't even taken a second thought.

Naruto remembered how Matsuri had been when he told the girl he was leaving; he had never seen a more heartbroken look before. She had actually offered to come with him and honestly the blonde was touched. He was sure with enough time and planning he could have gotten the girl out of Suna however she was in the academy. While not a Shinobi yet she would still be labelled as a missing-nin due to her knowledge of certain key points about Suna's system and Jutsu. Naruto didn't want her to have that kind of burden on her shoulders so he simply told her that it was not the last time that they would see one another and she should work on growing stronger in his absence.

It had been a rather teary-eyed farewell from the cute brunette but Naruto had promised he would see her again and he had never broken a promise yet. He never did see Temari again though which was a shame; even so, he believed he would see her again too. Finally he left his thoughts behind as he looked up at Gaara, his eyes twinkling at the challenge before him.

"Alright Gaara, let's get started."


	9. Storm I

**Aiiiiiiiieeeeeeee Tsunade-sama! Ah um Digi does not own Naru- oh Tsunade-sama! Not the desk too!**

* * *

**Sage**

**Book III: Storm**

_"There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting." – Buddha_

* * *

"So how do you feel?" Narrowed violet eyes looked across the clearing at pupilless teal ones for a secondt. Gaara looked down for a moment, staring at his hand as he turned it back and forth before looking back up at the blonde across from him.

"It is hard to explain. Is the world always so quiet for you?" Naruto just gave a small smile before wincing, clutching his stomach in pain.

"I'm sure it only seems that way now, don't worry, I'm sure you'll get used to it." He chuckled as the redhead suddenly yawned, stretching his arms up above his head.

"I feel as though for the first time in my life I can finally rest." Naruto stood up with a pained wince, slightly hunched over as he clutched his stomach. He walked over to his new friend as fast as he could, which was fairly slow, and patted him gently on the shoulder.

"You've earned it." However Gaara wasn't looking at him, he instead looked on as the sand armour that had parted at Naruto's touch re-formed almost as soon as the blonde moved away. He blinked as a frown settled on his features; quickly he raised an arm, palm outstretched in front of him. As if in response the ground quivered, sand rising from the floor in a loose pillar that swayed uncertainly. He allowed it to drop, instead creating a kunai before quickly thrusting it towards his arm.

Naruto watched on in interest as sand immediately sprung up around the redhead, blocking the kunai before it could come close to his skin. Gaara allowed the kunai to fall away into dust, just staring at his hands in shock and confusion. Naruto used the opportunity to walk over, setting himself down next to the former Suna Genin.

"I do not understand. With the Ichibi removed, should I have not lost my abilities over the sands?" Naruto raised an eyebrow before giving the boy a reassuring pat on the back.

"I thought they were your own abilities. You agreed to this, knowing you might lose your powers?" Gaara just nodded, still staring at his hands incredulously; suddenly he looked up, his eyes slightly desperate.

"Attack me." Naruto just tilted his head before standing up and reaching for where his shakujou rested against a nearby tree. With one solid swing he spun the wooden staff once before attempting to crack it against the boy's arm. Surprisingly sand once again sprung up, blocking the thrust like a steel wall before it could impact.

"I do not understand at all, what is still protecting me? By what will does the sand move?" Naruto gave a small unhelpful shrug as he sat back down, resting his staff against his shoulder so he could once again place his hand on his stomach.

"I guess that is something you will have to find out for yourself." Again Gaara nodded rather absently, continuing to test his obviously retained powers with various weapons made of sand. It had taken nearly all night to extract Gaara's Bijuu safely; Naruto had assumed it would be similar to Sora's procedure but he had failed to take into account the consciousness of Shukaku. It seemed the great tanuki didn't much appreciate being ripped from its host so it fought back. Plus because it was a complete Bijuu it took much longer than just sealing a bit of the Kyuubi's leftover Chakra.

Naruto was feeling the aftereffects though; an intense pain was circulating his body like somebody had replaced his blood with acid. It was centred on his stomach so he could only assume it was all the excess chakra he had absorbed. While his body had become accustomed to the Bijuu chakra thanks to the slow leakage from the Kyuubi's seal it was still an entire Bijuu's worth which was no small amount. Right now Naruto was putting on a bit of a brave face for Gaara but inside his Preta path was working overtime in either integrating the new foreign chakra or trying to push it into the seal.

"We need to check if there is any lingering Chakra in your system." Once again he merely received an absent nod as if Gaara's neck was only working on auto-pilot. Shrugging Naruto placed his hand on Gaara's chest, closing his eyes as he felt out the former Jinchuuriki's chakra. He frowned as he felt something there, it wasn't a remnant of Shukaku; he was certain of that. It was like somebody had almost laced Gaara's Chakra with their own, he could feel it acting independently of his usual Chakra system yet at the same time moving in perfect sync with his body. It must have taken place at an extremely young age for the two to be so well integrated and it must have been from somebody with very similar Chakra, like a family member. Which gave Naruto an idea.

"Gaara, did you know your mother?" The redhead finally looked up, jerked out of his trance-like state and only just then realising Naruto had his hand against his skin.

"I was told she died the day I was born, complications due to the Ichibi being sealed within me." Naruto gave him a very warm smile which confused the poor redhead.

"So she gave her life in order to give you yours. I cannot think of a truer expression of love." Gaara's face soured at that, his hair shadowing his eyes momentarily.

"My uncle told me that my mother despised me from the moment she saw me, calling me a weak and feeble child. That was just before he tried to murder me under my father's orders." Naruto descended to a crouch next to the former vessel, a warm hand on his shoulder and a warmer smile across his features.

"Maybe you should choose not to believe them. I believe your mother's will lives on in that sand, protecting you." Gaara looked up, confusion evident in his eyes; however one look at the kindly and confident gleam in Naruto's eyes and his own meek smile began to spread across his features.

"You have done so much for me Naruto and I still do not fully understand why." He looked away, staring into the forest that surrounded the duo with a new feeling welling up in his chest; hope. "However, I do know now that I want to understand." He turned back around, the small developing smile still present across his lips. "Thank you for everything." Naruto returned it gladly before wincing slightly and letting out a slightly strained chuckle.

"What will you do now? I could always use a friend on my travels; I can't promise comfort or security but I can offer companionship at least." His response was the redhead's smile growing slightly.

"I think I would like that, but I will have to decline." Naruto just nodded understandingly; he shifted his staff to his other hand before extending the appendage towards the ex-Jinchuuriki.

"Then I wish you luck as you find your own path in the world Gaara no Sabaku." Gaara looked down at the extended hand for only a fraction of a second before grasping it strongly in his own, the sand from the contact falling to the ground at their feet.

"The same for you Naruto Uzumaki."

* * *

Compared with the blistering heat of the desert a warm sunny day in Kawa no Kuni was incredibly relaxing for the walking monk. The trees around him reminded him of his home at the temple so there was a genuinely content smile on his face as he travelled down a long, stretching road. The sky was blue above him without a single cloud in sight; on days like this all the monks would be outside, either meditating or enjoying the day with friends.

So he was confused then when out of the blue the skies opened and a deluge of water began to fall from the sky. He looked up, blinking away the droplets of water that tried to reach his eyes and sure enough the sky was completely overcast by clouds. Shrugging it off as one of those strange occurrences the blonde just moved on, pulling the hood of his robes up to fend off the worst of it. However what he really couldn't ignore was when it suddenly stopped, not lighten or ease up, just stop.

Looking up again he saw nothing but clear blue sky and the occasional lazy white cloud, none of which looked heavy enough to rain. The whole event took about five minutes in total and it had the poor blonde thrown for a loop; he had never seen such crazy weather. Again he just about managed to pass it off as the local climate, however he still had a nagging feeling something was wrong. He had passed through River Country on the way to Suna and that definitely had not happened before.

He stopped off in a clearing not too far from the side of the road, quickly setting up a fire so he could dry off his clothes. As he waited he adopted his traditional sitting pose before allowing his mind to fall away deep into his own consciousness.

* * *

"Well that doesn't seem good." For once when Naruto entered the seal he was not in the Kyuubi's cell room, he was back in the corridors. However he immediately noticed the difference; a new pipe adorned the roof, larger than the pipes he assumed represented his own Chakra but smaller than the pipe reserved for the Kyuubi's. The ground at his feet was wet, most likely due to the terrible state of the new pipe; it was cracked and leaking.

Like the Kyuubi's chakra Naruto could see the Ichibi's Chakra eat away at the floor of the corridor. It was at a lesser rate, no doubt due to the decreased potency, but there was definitely more off it leaking out into his system; that could not be good in the blonde's opinion. Quickly he focused all his concentration of his Preta path; the effects were immediate; some of the cracks sealed themselves up and the leaking decreased. However doing this was difficult and Naruto was visibly straining to do so; his will was absolute though and he lessened the damage to the point the corridor was able to begin recovering from the damage.

Quickly as he could while maintain his concentration the monk wound his way through the representative passages of the seal. It was much easier to find the Kyuubi's room once he knew what he was looking for and soon he was staring up at the enormous barred gate. However the pipes weren't the only thing to change, the room had grown bigger, instead of being a square it was now a pentagon and two of the enormous walls were taken up by equally large gates.

The Kyuubi seemed to be in its usual position deep within the darkness of its own personal cell, the other one on the other hand...

"**NO NO NO NO NO! I WAS ALMOST FREE! YEEEAAAARRRGGHHHHHHH!" **Naruto watched as an enormous tanuki comparable to the size of the Kyuubi, but slightly smaller, raged against the bars of its cage. It would slam its tail, arms and even head against the unyielding metal bars in an attempt to break free. All the while it would curse and scream loudly in increasing hysterics to the point where even the Kyuubi's eye was twitching in irritation. However the sudden silence as Naruto entered the room was just as deafening.

"**YOU!" **Suddenly the sand construct slammed both hands against the bars at once, it's black and yellow eyes firmly fixed on the small figure before it. **"Father! Father! It's father! Father!" **It continued to repeat that over and over in increasingly hysterical tones, repeatedly banging against the bars at certain points.

"**Be silent you worthless tanuki!" **Suddenly the enormous mass of sand stopped, frozen in place as if each individual particle of sand had been replaced by ice. Slowly, inch by inch it turned its colossal head to stare at the fox, red eyes meeting yellow. There was a moment of tense silence before Shukaku suddenly and without warning broke out into loud and high pitched laughter, bouncing on its feet like a humoured child.

"**YES YES! This is it! The mighty nine-tailed fox is locked in an iddy biddy cage! Not so mighty now are you fuzzball!" **Again Shukaku broke out in hysterics as the Kyuubi growled out its irritation, unable to do anything thanks to the bars between them. Naruto watched on, unsure of whether to be amused or confused; in the end he settled in both; however as he shifted his shakujou once again jingled and he found Shukaku's attention completely on him.

"**Father! Father is back!" **The enormous tanuki sidled up as close as he could to the cage, pressing its great head against the bars to peer even closer at Naruto. **"Shukaku knew you would come back, he said so but the other's didn't believe him! But you're here! You're really really here!" **Suddenly the sand construct pressed its forehead up against the bars for a moment as Naruto looked on in confusion. After a moment it backed away, looking up at Naruto with expectant eyes; Naruto had once seen the same look in the eyes of a dog waiting for food.

Almost as soon as they made eye contact Shukaku re-assumed the same position, with his forehead pressed right up against the bars. Naruto sent a small glance towards the Kyuubi who only watched the whole spectacle with distain. Unsure of what to do Naruto cautiously made his way over towards the Ichibi's cell as the great creature continued to look up with excitement and expectant looks. Finally he was standing right before it, looking over the expansive sand plain of the Bijuu's forehead. Finally after a moment of hesitation he reached through the bars with one hand and began to gently rub Shukaku's sandy head.

"**Ahhh, I missed you Father" **Naruto had never thought what it might sound like to hear a tanuki made of sand, the size of a building, sigh happily; he found out in that moment. After a moment or two it appeared the Ichibi had fallen asleep and sure enough when Naruto moved away the creature's chest was rising and falling steadily, a contented grin on it's usually crazed features. The blonde walked away into the centre of the room, looking at the Kyuubi as the fox cracked a single red eye at him.

"Do you know what that was about?" The fox only huffed once, lazily rubbing its paw over its ear once before settling its head back down on its paws. "Why does he keep calling me his father?" The fox didn't answer even though Naruto could tell he was faking sleep, instead it just lay there. "You know I could always just ask Shukaku when it wakes up and not have to deal with you." Finally the Kyuubi reacted, snorting loudly in what could almost be mistaken for amusement, but was more than likely contempt.

"**You would have better luck trying to hollow out the earth than get a straight answer from that insane tanuki Ningen." **The creature finally raised its head a little staring directly at Naruto with unblinking red eyes. **"And for your information, Shukaku has somehow gotten it into his pitiful little insane mind that you are the Sage." **Naruto blinked at the information as he shifted his shakujou to his other hand absently, the action once again earning a twitch from the Kyuubi's ears out of his notice.

"It considers the Sage of the Six Paths his father?" His only response was a single irritated growl before the Kyuubi lowered its head back down. Knowing when his tenant would be unresponsive Naruto just gave a small sigh and disappeared from the seal.

* * *

Naruto looked down at himself, pleasantly surprised to find his clothes had dried in the time he had been in the seal. He got up and doused the fire, quickly moving back onto the path to continue on his journey. After only ten minutes of walking he happened upon a small out of the way village with a makeshift wooden wall surrounding it. It looked as though barricades and various fortifications had been hastily put up and in many places the wall had been smashed down; large holes being slowly filled in by labouring villagers.

As he walked further into the village Naruto could feel the heavy presence of depression and general hopelessness weighing down on the people like a physical weight. All around him were signs of poverty; people out in the streets huddled underneath blankets, probably wearing everything they owned. Children ran through alleyways to the side of the street, their clothes tattered and their limbs skinny from malnourishment. He looked down as he felt a tug on the hem of his robes; looking down he saw a young girl who couldn't have been older than five or six staring up at him with large chocolate eyes.

"Please, do you have any food?" Internally Naruto was in disbelief about what he was seeing, on the outside though he managed a small strained smile as he reached into a pouch, withdrawing a scroll. With a puff of smoke he gave the young girl a loaf of bread which she just stared at as if it might disintegrate with a touch. Naruto gently pressed it into her hands and patted her lightly on the shoulder. Suddenly tears began leaking from the corners of her eyes as she wrapped her little arms as far around Naruto's waist as she could.

"Thanks mister!" With that she ran off towards a small group of kids around her age and began to share out the bread she had been given. However she stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder; looking around she saw Naruto looking down at their little group.

"Please, allow me." With that he continued to unseal the food he had gotten from stocking up in Suna and soon each of the kids had a handful of food and were all looking up at him with wide eyes. After he had extradited himself from the enormous group glomp he had found himself in Naruto began to continue his way through the small run-down village.

"That was very kind of you young man." He looked for the voice only to see an old woman looking up at him, sat against the side of a building. Her hair was greying and messy and her skin was covered in deep wrinkles yet here eyes still had their youth in them, sparkling just as strongly as anybody. "I'm sure some of those boys and girls won't have eaten in a few days." Naruto walked over to the woman, his shakujou clicking against the cobbles lining the road.

"What's going on in this village? What happened here?" The elderly woman just sighed as she looked upwards, watching the sky like it would rain money and food any second.

"We used to be a thriving lumber town, many merchants would pass through here between Hi no Kuni and Kaze no Kuni. However the Wind Daimyo decided to build a highway through the country so that his travels would be shorter. Our little village was completely bypassed and was no longer the essential stop it had been. Business suffered for everybody and soon we did not have enough money to fund a proper militia or defence; then of course bandits came. They swooped down on us like a carrion bird picking at a dying animal, ravaging the town, stealing from everybody and even kidnapping many of the younger women from their families." As the woman spoke Naruto's hand began to tighten around his staff, his knuckles turning white.

"When did they last come through here?" The woman looked down to the ground, restlessly kneading her hands in the blanket thrown over her body.

"Today, just a few hours ago; they took off east with a few girls from the village." Her voice was dejected and defeated; it was plain to Naruto that she had given up a long time ago along with the rest of the village. He began to walk away before he felt a hand grab his robes for the second time; the old woman was looking at him with saddened eyes. "You aren't planning to go after them are you?" Naruto said nothing, instead he just stared a moment before turning and walking off.

His feet carried him through the village faster than he normally would; there was something about their air of utter hopelessness in the village that struck a nerve deep within him. Before he knew it he had begun walking east at a brisk pace, skirting around trees, not even entirely sure what he was doing. A part of him was thinking of going after the bandits, another was wondering how he would even find them. More importantly he didn't know exactly what he would do when he finally reached them, if he did that was.

Soon it began to rain, rather suddenly in fact and Naruto quickly raised his hood, pulling his scarf up and around mouth to cover his whisker marks as his did so. The wind picked up a little, causing his cloak to flap around his body as he continued to walk forward at a steady pace. Surprisingly it was the noise that told Naruto where the bandits were before his eyes caught even a glimpse of Chakra. The raucous sounds of laughing, fighting, and drunken singing reached his ears even above the increasingly intense rain.

It wasn't much longer after that when he found himself standing on a small ridge overlooking what was obviously the bandit camp. Fires were lit across the valley below, tents and makeshift cabins set up in circles around them. A loose wall was put up around the whole camp and the occasional guard patrolled the perimeter, obviously they weren't expecting company any time soon. Naruto would make sure to correct them on that; he continued straight over the ridge, approaching what appeared to be the main entrance to the camp. Two guards were lazily lounging on tree stumps, barely paying attention to the area around them until Naruto was close enough to smell the alcohol on their breaths.

"H-Hey you!" One of the guards had obviously noticed the monk as he quickly scrambled for his weapon, a dull, rusty-looking sword that had obviously seen better days.

"What are you doing here? Get lost!" His companion had been alerted by the guard's shouts and was also reaching for his own weapon, a naginata, in better condition than the sword going off its shinier metal. Naruto said nothing, just standing there with his face covered by the shadows of his hood and his cloak gently flapping in the wind. Despite his size he made for an intimidating sight with his staff and dark cloak.

"Kaminari no Mai." With one sharp move Naruto dug his shakujou into the soft earth, leaving it to stick out of the ground while he shifted into a loose Taijutsu stance. His legs were shoulder-width apart while his arms hung limply at his sides; his head was tilted down, wet hair shadowing his eyes. Then, all in one moment Naruto's head snapped up and his eyes opened, his ringed purple eyes glowing lightly with the Chakra running through them. Both arms flipped up, palms cupped lightly as he almost seemed to gesture towards the guards.

"Banshou Ten'in." Before they knew what was happening the guards were in the air, moving quickly towards the still unmoving blonde. Before they reached him his arms lowered, allowing them to come to a sliding stop, still just about on their feet. It didn't last long; lighting fast Naruto was between them, his body already spinning. Instead of punching his arms seemed to just move with the momentum of his body, lashing out with pointed index and middle fingers. In a few seconds it was over, Naruto delivered a few fast jabs to nerve bundles across their bodies and they were on the floor, unmoving.

"H-Hey, what did you do to us?" The bandits were on the ground, various muscles across their body twitching fruitlessly as they struggled to move. His voice was hoarse and he found it more difficult to speak than it should have been. Naruto didn't even glance in their direction, striding past them towards the camp.

"Kaminari no Mai is a Taijutsu style that allows me to take advantage of an opponent's weaknesses, their various blind-spots and pressure points are all visible to my eyes." His eyes steeled over as he walked past them, cloak billowing in the rain. "Watch my shakujou; I'll be back for it later." And with that he moved past them, taking long steps into the camp.

* * *

Kaneko was feeling in particularly good spirits that night, despite the rain bearing down on them ever since their raid on the town earlier. They had food on their plates and money in their pouches, it made him wonder why they weren't raiding towns every night if the reward was so handsome. He laughed as Tadeshi made a joke, managing to spit some food forward into the camp circle. The fire crackled brightly in their midst, bathing the area in a warm glow.

Suddenly though he felt something press against his neck, followed by a few light jabs along his spine. Unable to move all of a sudden he fell limply to the fire, half his face getting covered in mud as he slumped to the ground. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted a cloaked figure move past him, descending upon his fellow bandits with the grace of a dancer yet the cold fury of a trained warrior. He would disable everybody with nothing more than a few jabs along key areas, spinning his body in strange and unpredictable directions until everybody was in a similar situation as him.

The figure stopped for a moment, rolling one of the bandits he had subdued onto their back so they wouldn't suffocate in the mud. Kaneko just looked on in fear as the figure strode towards him; all he could see in the shadows cast by his hood were a pair of glowing purple eyes, ringed around the small pupil. To the terrified bandit it looked like death incarnate striding towards his petrified form. The assailant grabbed the bandit by his shirt, lifting him with surprising strength for his height and size.

"Where do you keep your prisoners?" The voice that came out of the shadows of the hood was calm but had an edge like steel, staring into those glowing eyes the bandit just felt compelled to tell him.

"T-There. In the tents o-on the far side of the c-camp, I swear!" The eyes narrowed for a moment before Kaneko was dropped to the ground, his limp body splashing in the mud. The man sighed deeply, right now he felt truly lucky to be alive.

* * *

Naruto walked through the bandit camp rather calmly, taking down any bandit that crossed his path swiftly. He may have only been eleven but he had Chakra-enhanced speed and strength as well as his Rinnegan eyes which made him more than a match for any number of untrained bandits. Quickly he dealt with the last of them, watching the man drop to the ground with cold, indifferent eyes. There were many things he was able to forgive thanks to his master's teachings but kidnapping people, tearing them away from their live all for the sake of money or sick pleasures; that was not one of them.

He ducked into one of the larger tents in the camp only for his hands to clench into fists so tight he began to draw blood with his fingernails. Around twenty women were tied up on the ground, their legs and arms bound at the wrists and ankles. Most were asleep or unconscious, Naruto couldn't tell, others were staring at him in fear and all of them had the tell-tale signs they had been crying or were abused in some way. After calming himself down he quickly went about untying the prisoners, in some cases just slashing through their bonds with a Chakra-coated hand.

"Okay, you're free. Go, the village is that way." He pointed back in the direction he had come from while the women just stared at him uncomprehendingly. Suddenly one of the girls at the back, around the same age Naruto was with long purple hair, stood up with a smile on her face. She wiped away the tears on her face with slightly weak arms as she looked around at her fellow prisoners.

"You heard him, let's go!" That seemed to rally the women as they all hurried from the tent, a few of them pausing outside to look at the unmoving bodies of the bandits strewn about.

"D-Did you kill them?" As if to answer, one of the men at her feet suddenly groaned causing the woman to shriek and lash out on instinct with her foot, knocking him out.

"No, I've paralysed them all for about six hours. That should be enough time for the villagers to come out here and deal with them as they see fit." Naruto offered the collected girls a smile as he drew back his hood, uncaring of the rain flattening his spiky blonde locks. "I'm sorry this had to happen to you but you're free now." Suddenly Naruto was swarmed on all sides by women, some thanking him profusely, others pulling him into vice-like hugs that left him a blushing wreck. One girl even kissed him before running off with a blush of her own after the retreating women.

Once they were all gone Naruto cast a glance around the bandit camp once again before walking off, grabbing his shakujou out of the ground along the way. Once he was back on the road he turned north and just started walking, a smile playing across his lips.


	10. Storm II

**I read in a book you are supposed to smile while giving bad news to lessen the impact, Digi does not own Naruto, do you feel better?**

* * *

**Sage**

_"Live as if you were to die tomorrow, Learn as if you were to live forever" – Mahatma Ghandi_

* * *

Kawa no Kuni was a large country, at least in comparison to the other so called 'minor' countries. While its economical income couldn't compare to its neighbour Konoha, it was by no means poor. With a border spanning between the lengths of Hi no Kuni and Kaze no Kuni it had exponentially prospered as an outcome of the peace between the two hidden villages. Trade routes through the country were developed and places like Takumi village and the now officially decommissioned Tanigakure became popular tourist hotspots.

Its main export was lumber, similar to that of Hi no Kuni except where they provided bulk and quantity, Kawa no Kuni provided professionalism and quality. Expansive lumber farms of rare and sought after trees spanned the length of the country. Taking advantage of the exhaustive river system that ran through the land the lumber farms were able to float their cargo all the way to the port towns in the south of the country to be shipped off all around the elemental nations.

Naruto stood by one such river, watching with idle interest as large barges filled to the brim with enormous logs of various colour and shape floated by. Despite the hidden village of the country being officially disbanded in favour of services from wither Konoha or Suna, there were many guilds of mercenaries operating in the land. Most of the time they were contracted with protecting the barges from attack; however it rarely came to that; one barge of wood, no matter how rare, was fairly worthless to the average bandit.

Naruto had been following the river for about an hour since leaving the women he had rescued to go back to their village. It was still raining heavily causing the river to swell slightly; there was little chance of it breaking its banks though, most were reinforced against that kind of thing. Kawa no Kuni was a fairly flat land with only a few valleys towards the south of the region. The rivers that had their sources in Iwa's mountains by that point were lazy and meandering; there wasn't a single rapid or waterfall in the entire county.

Floods used to be a fairly common occurrence which was why many villages still bore the protection measures against such events such as walls and special irrigation systems. However the last Daimyo, in an attempt to bolster the countries economical situation had put a plan into action where every river in the country had been converted into a sort of semi-canal. It had nearly bankrupted the country but the rewards were well worth it; no longer having to pay so much for flood protection the people were freer to spend money on other things, contributing the economy more.

Of course Naruto didn't know any of this as he lazily made his way along the bank of the river, his hood up to ward off the rain. Every so often he would pause, an amused smile on his face before continuing on, the soft sound of raindrops and the lap of the river against its banks accompanying his walk.

"Were you ever going to work up the courage to come out?" Naruto almost chuckled as he heard a startled 'eep' from somewhere behind him, well, two trees behind him to be exact. He turned as a young girl sheepishly poked her head out from behind the large oak, a blush on her cheeks for getting caught.

"How long did you know?" Naruto jest gave a small smile as he leaned against his staff, surprising the girl when it didn't sink even an inch into the rain-softened ground.

"What? That you were following me ever since the bandit camp?" The girl hung her head a little, in retrospect she should have probably figured it would be hard to sneak up on somebody capable of taking down an entire bandit camp without a single casualty.

"I-I didn't mean to be sneaky or anything, I was just nervous." Naruto merely maintained his small smile.

"Why didn't you go back to the village with the others?" Suddenly he recognised the girl, she was the one who rallied the others back in the camp. She had long flowing purple hair that was free to flow down her back in a wave and vibrant turquoise eyes. On her body was the tattered remains of what was once probably a rather pretty dress that was now covered in tears and dirt that was gradually being washed off by the rain. .

"I uh, well." She began to nervously wring her hands before looking up with a hopeful expression. "I want to learn how to do what you can." Naruto blinked in surprise before frowning as he noted the occasional shiver run across the girl's body. He was wrapped up in his cloak so he didn't notice but thanks to the rain it had become rather cold.

"Here." He removed his long billowing cloak, allowing the girl to see the monk robes he wore underneath, before holding it out to her. Immediately his hair was flattened against his head and his clothes began to soak but he quickly circulated fire Chakra through his body for warmth. The girl just looked hesitantly at the cloak before accepting it with a gracious smile.

"Thank you; I'm Shizuku by the way." Naruto cocked a brow; it was a fairly unusual name, especially for a girl.

"Naruto, that's a strange name." The girl blushed again as she pulled the large cloak over her considerably smaller frame.

"Yeah, it was given to me by the lady who ran the orphanage." She looked up and saw Naruto's sympathetic look which only seemed to redden her blush. "I don't know what happened to my parents but I was found as a child unconscious in front of the village; I don't remember anything before then." Naruto gave her an understanding smile as he moved closer, bringing the both of them underneath the protection of a large bough.

"I was an orphan too, I ran away from my village when I was young." He paused for a moment looking like he was going to say more but thought better of it. "I was found a few days later by my Sempai Chiriku and lived in the Fire temple ever since." Shizuku finally seemed to notice the boy's staff and robes as her eyes widened in understanding.

"So you're really a monk?" Naruto nodded once and the girl slumped slightly against the tree. "Wow, I thought you must be a ninja or something from the way you took down those bandits." She looked at him incredulously for a moment, her long purple hair splaying across her face as it moved with the momentum of her head. "Aren't monks just supposed to go about preaching and praying or something?" Naruto gave a short laugh as he sat down on the wet ground, he was wet anyway so a bit more wouldn't hurt.

"I get that a lot. Monks and Shinobi both develop the use of Chakra within their bodies however the difference lays in their goals. Shinobi train purely to fight or to aid in fighting so they can complete their missions and get paid. Monks train to use Chakra so they can better understand themselves, however this requires both mental and physical training; learning Taijutsu is the easiest way to go about this." Shizuku nodded dumbly, only really following half of that.

"But the way you took down those bandits..." Naruto stood up, quickly walking up the tree they were next to which was amazing enough as it was. He proceeded to rip a rather large branch from the tree with obvious ease before dropping back down with no visible injury.

"Understanding Chakra and learning to mould it gives one certain advantages like enhanced strength and speed but it is only a by-product of our training. In a fight with a trained ninja the monk will more often than not come out the worse for it." Shizuku looked down, disappointed by that slightly; Naruto caught that as he sat back down, this time the girl joined him.

"But why do you wish to learn what I can do?" The blonde was mildly surprised when he saw a look of intense determination flash across the girl's teal eyes. Her fists clenched slightly as she looked off into the trees, obviously thinking deeply about something.

"I felt so hopeless, lying there in that tent, unable to help or do anything. I had to watch as girls were dragged off, to only be abused for the sick pleasure of those men; I wanted so desperately to help, to do something other than just lie there hopelessly. Then you came along, framed by the light in the flap of the tent, you looked so..." She suddenly trailed off as a large blush once again flooded her face forcing her to look away before coughing. "You seemed so strong and powerful." She turned back to face him "I want to be like that too, so I never have to watch on powerlessly again as people are hurt." She was greeted by a warm smile from the blonde.

"That is a very good reason to seek power, but what then? What will you do when you have that power?" The girl looked at him confused as the blonde sighed, a contemplative look replacing his usual serene smile. "My master once told me that some of the worst people in the world do what they do out of love." Again he only received a look of confusion. "If you loved somebody so intently you would give your life for them only to watch them die in front of you, naturally you would seek revenge. The road to damnation is paved with more than good intentions but the bones of people one steps over in their warped quest." He blinked as he looked around, the warm smile returning to his face as soon as he realised it was gone.

"Sorry, guess I got a little carried away there." Shizuku just looked at him with wide eyes, her mouth hanging open a little almost comically.

"Are all monks like you?" Naruto chuckled at that, a grin stretching over his face.

"There's nobody like me." The girl blinked before a similar smile began to spread over her own features.

"So will you do it?" The blonde raised an eyebrow causing the girl to sigh. "Will you teach me how to be stronger?" Naruto chuckled as he nodded understandingly; he seemed pensive for a moment as he slowly got to his feet. There was a long moment of silence as he stared at the end of his staff, seemingly lost in his thoughts.

"No." Shizuku nearly fell over at that before a looking down sadly.

"I understand." She turned to go, shrugging off the cloak only to feel a hand on her shoulder preventing her. Turning with confusion she saw Naruto standing there with a half smile, his other hand extended towards her.

"I can't teach you how to be stronger, that is something you must figure out yourself; but as my master told me four years ago, I can give you the told to find that answer." Naruto had never felt wiser in his life, he almost felt like Chukaku when he gave one of his sagely lectures. Of course the mood was completely ruined when Shizuku suddenly launched herself forward, wrapping her arms tightly around the blonde in a warm hug.

"Thank you! I promise you won't regret this, I'll be the best student ever!" Naruto smiled warmly as he began to walk again, Shizuku scrambling to follow him. "So does this make me like your apprentice now?" Naruto chuckled lightly as he walked, Shakujou jingling melodiously for a moment as he turned to look at his new travelling companion.

"I suppose so."

* * *

"Alright, the first thing you need to learn about Chakra is that you cannot control it." Naruto's new 'student' stared at him incredulously for a moment. They had stopped off for the night somewhere in the north of the country, not too far from the border between Kawa and Ame no Kuni. They sat in a clearing, a small fire burning between them to dry them off. The rain hadn't stopped but the small clearing acted like a natural shelter, keeping them dry for the most part.

"What do you mean, don't ninja use it to do all their cool Jutsu and stuff?" Naruto just chuckled, running a hand through his damp hair before replacing them in front of the fire to keep warm. Using fire Chakra was handy but doing it consistently throughout the day became tiring, even to somebody like Naruto.

"It is true Shinobi use Chakra to perform Ninjutsu however they do not control the Chakra running through their body, they merely guide it, or at least the most successful do. You have to imagine it like water; you can try to pick it up all you like but it will just run through your fingers eventually, instead you make channels for the water and allow it to flow naturally. The only part a Shinobi actively plays is moulding the Chakra itself from their Physical and Spiritual energies." At this point Shizuku had her head tilted to the side like a lost puppy causing Naruto to sigh with a small smile.

"Come here." The girl blinked but complied anyway, walking around the campfire to stand in front of Naruto. The blonde surprised her however when he gently pressed his palm against her stomach, causing an intense blush to break out across her face.

"W-What are you-?" Shizuku suddenly stopped as she felt a warmth suddenly enter her body through the contact like a liquid spreading throughout her form. She suddenly felt incredibly strong and her senses were heightened to levels she wouldn't have believed before. As suddenly as it had happened it was gone, Naruto pulling his hand away much to the girl's disappointment.

"That was Chakra." Naruto's words didn't seem to reach the girl, she had a lopsided grin on her face and was swaying slightly.

"Can you do that again?" Naruto chuckled slightly as he patted the spot on the log next to him, the girl sitting down without hesitance.

"I don't need to, soon you'll be able to do that yourself. I might have lied just a bit; you can control Chakra to an extent but not in the way you would think. Naturally there is always Chakra flowing in our bodies, through special pathways just for that purpose. In most people these routes are underdeveloped so not much is flowing; in Ninja they work for years in order to develop these pathways so they can perform their techniques. What I just did was guide some of my own Chakra through your Chakra network, opening them up slightly and encouraging your own core to begin producing more. This will start a chain reaction of sort so that if you continue to train your pathways will continue to expand."

Naruto looked over only to see Shizuku with her head tilted forward, her eyes slowly closing. He just smiled as he led her carefully over to where he had unsealed his sleeping mat. He lay down a few metres away on the ground, not minding the soft earth as a bed; he had certainly slept on worse. He figured it was better she slept now, loosening ones pathways manually was an uncomfortable process but this way she would sleep through it. He looked over one more time at the sheet of purple hair poking out from underneath the blanket; he had gained some company if nothing else.

* * *

"So where are we headed then?" The two were walking through thick forests again having woken some time after the sun had rose. Well, Shizuku had, Naruto had been awake the moment the sun peaked through the trees, preparing breakfast before meditating until his new companion awoke. It was a novel experience having to explain to the girl what meditation was and what it did. She had attempted it however briefly but found it to be boring; it was like seeing a glimpse of himself in the past.

"Wherever out feet take us I suppose." The violette stared at the blonde for a moment before shaking her head with a sigh.

"Is everything you say going to be a riddle?" Her response was a warm smile which only increased the volume of her groan.

"Well if we went via the elemental cycle I started in Hi no Kuni before travelling to Kaze no Kuni so the next logical destination would be Kaminari no Kuni." If anything the girl's disbelief only increased as she stared at her companion in horror.

"Are you kidding? The land of lightning is on the other side of the continent!" Naruto just shrugged with that same calming, yet unbelievably irritating smile.

"Peace is a journey of a thousand miles and must be taken one step at a time." Again Shizuku just blinked before hanging her head down, an invisible rain cloud hanging over her head.

"You're impossible." Of course while the raincloud over her head was imaginary, the ones in the sky were very much real. As far as Naruto could tell it hadn't stopped raining all night and had continued to do so into the morning. Naruto just chuckled at her response as they continued to walk in silence, only the jingle of his staff breaking the quiet.

"Where would you suggest we go then?" Shizuku gave a small laugh of her own, her emotions doing a complete one eighty as she motioned to her tattered clothing.

"A town preferably, If I'm going to be travelling all the way to Kaminari no Kuni then I'll need some new clothes." Naruto gave a small conceding nod, pleasantly surprised at how quickly the girl's disposition had taken a turn for the better. It was something he had noticed about the girl, no matter what happened she seemed to bounce back within moments to what appeared to be her usual upbeat attitude.

Pretty soon they did reach a town, one that straddled the edge of the border with Ame no Kuni. Thankfully it was not as downtrodden as the last one Naruto passed through; people were going about their normal days without a care. Not much attention was given to a travelling monk and the young girl with him and Naruto liked it better that way. He normally wouldn't mind any attention he might attract because he was at least confident in his skills. However now there was somebody with him he couldn't be so sure; he felt protective of Shizuku.

Due to the inherent radar all women naturally possessed it didn't take all that long for the girl to fin d a clothes shop. Naruto gave her some money out of the small amount he had saved over his time in Suna and left her to get what she needed. He wasn't sure why but he felt as though if he went inside he would end up regretting it. However as soon as the girl came back out he instantly knew he should have gone in with her.

"What are you wearing?" Naruto blinked in surprise once as his head tilted to the side in surprise. Shizuku had emerged from the shop with what very well appeared to be a Miko outfit, complete with the clean white Kimono top tucked into a traditional red Hakama. She also had decided to take a leaf out of Naruto's book, buying comfortable strap-up sandals with white socks unlike the open-toed style favoured by Ninja. Her hair was now tied back by a light ribbon the same colour as her eyes, drawing it into a long ponytail. Honesty Naruto wouldn't have been surprised if there had been a sword on her back, thankfully there wasn't.

"What, you don't like it? I figured if I'm travelling with a monk I should look the part." Naruto just rubbed his forehead, unsure of whether to be flattered by the girl's commitment of just irritated.

"You're mistaking me for a priest again." Shizuku just blinked in confusion, almost melting away Naruto's irritation with how cute the action was.

"I am?" That was the final straw; Shizuku tilted her head to the side slightly with wide blinking eyes, her pony-tail falling with it. Naruto somehow knew she knew exactly what she was doing bt it was too damn cute so he didn't find it in him to care.

"It's fine, as long as you bought something else then-" The monk blanched as Shizuku produced three more sets of the exact same outfit from behind her. His head fell forward in defeat while Shizuku had that same innocent smile on her face. "Come on then, I'll show you how to seal those away in scrolls." Shizuku's face lit up at the mention of learning something; on their walk they had talked a lot about what Naruto would teach her; or at least Shizuku had excitedly speculated while Naruto watched on in amusement.

They began to move on, grabbing something to eat while they were in the town before moving on to the border. Naruto was wary at this point, Ame no Kuni was very mysterious as of late, Chiriku had even warned him about passing through there. The borders were apparently heavily watched and Amegakure itself was supposed to be impossible to enter at the moment. People speculated there was some kind of internal strife going on like a civil war which was surprising. The leader of Ame, Hanzo of the Salamander, was said to have defeated all three of Konoha's Sannin at the same time.

However despite all of this it took surprisingly little effort to get into the country itself. It turns out all kinds of holy men were pretty much ignored as they travelled from country to country, considered harmless by most. Even if a monk of priest had power or skill they were pacifists by nature so posed no direct danger to anybody. There was also the fact that Ame was secure in the knowledge Amegakure had never been invaded before outside of war.

It continued to rain as they travelled so they had to find a cave some way off from the main road before they could make camp. Naruto quickly made a fire and soon the two were drying themselves off; Shizuku was also admiring her new look in a nearby puddle but that wasn't relevant. The atmosphere was surprisingly quiet considering how talkative Shizuku normally was; after they had dried off she sat at the mouth of the cave just staring out into the rain. Naruto joined her after a while, sitting next to her and peering out into the sheets of falling water.

"It's been raining pretty heavily for a while now hasn't it?" The blonde blinked when he noticed his companion's head droop slightly, an air of depression settling over her. He had only tried to make conversation yet Shizuku seemed to withdraw upon herself as he said it.

"It's my fault." He looked over only to be surprised when he saw Shizuku with tears bristling in the corners of her eyes. Naruto may have been a monk but he was still a guy and there are only a few reactions when a boy is faced with a crying girl.

"Woah, hey hey, it's not your fault!" he began to wave his hands in front of himself for reasons he couldn't quite fathom on a conscious level. "Hey, it's raining so what? We're in Ame no Kuni so what do you expect?" In response Shizuku just tucked her legs up against her chest, wrapping her arms around her knees and burying her face in her new Hakama leggings.

"It's not that; everywhere I go the rain always seems to follow me; it's how I got my name. For as long as I can remember whenever I am outside it would always rain. The other kids would stay away from me, saying I was cursed or just bad luck, now I've brought that on you, I'm sorry." She withdrew on herself even further, listing to the individual sounds of raindrops falling on the ground outside. She didn't flinch when she felt a warm hand rest on her shoulder, she didn't even look up.

"You know, a very wise old man once told me that the rain helps us see just how insignificant our own problems are. When you can walk outside as water falls from the sky, mingling with your tears to the point where they become indistinguishable, you realise that right at that very moment you might not be the only person in the world crying and you just might not be able to see them." Shizuku looked up slowly from her knees, timidly turning her gaze towards Naruto; however the blonde wasn't looking at her, he was staring out of the cave into the rain.

Suddenly he stood up and walked outside, completely uncaring of the water drenching his body. Lightning flashed briefly behind him, framing his body with light for a single second. He turned with a beaming smile, his hand outstretched in Shizuku's direction, gesturing for her to join him. Tentatively she stood and ventured out into the rain, her steps growing more confident as she reached the blonde. He took her hand, smiling all the while as he looked up at the overcast sky.

"I'll make you a promise Shizuku as my first apprentice; as long as I'm with you, you will never have to hide your tears in the rain again." With that he raised a single hand, his eyes opening, giving Shizuku her first ever glimpse of the Rinnegan. She felt a sudden surge of unexplained energy through the contact between their hands.

"Shinra Tensei." Suddenly, just like that, the rain stopped; it wasn't so much that it stopped falling entirely but above the two of them the water was suspended in the air like it was being held back by some great invisible hand. Shizuku could only watch in wonder at the physics-defying event taking place above her as Naruto defied nature to stop the rain falling. She looked back around only to find herself looking directly into Naruto's steely purple eyes.

Suddenly Naruto's technique gave out and the rain began to fall again, succinctly drenching them both from all the held back water. Quickly hurrying back into the cave the two began to laugh at the situation before settling down next to the fire to once again dry off. However every couple of moments or so Shizuku would cast a glance Naruto's way, trying to explain what she had felt out there, looking into his eyes.

"So the rain has really always followed you?" Shizuku looked up to see Naruto looking at her, his eyes once again narrowed as they usually were and only a small smile adoring his features. Shizuku just nodded while Naruto became thoughtful, he looked at her again, opening his eyes slightly wider to once again reveal his Doujutsu, staring t her as if he could see right through her. For a moment his eyes narrowed in confusion before they went back to normal.

"Your eyes, I've never seen anything like them." Naruto chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck. Shizuku was glad for moments like that, they humanised the otherwise mysterious monk she had latched herself onto.

"Yeah, I guess you could say they're unique." Upon Shizuku's look of interest the blonde sighed before opening his eyes completely, abandoning his usual narrowed look for now.

"I have a bloodline of sorts that manifests in my eyes as a Doujutsu known as the Rinnegan, it allows me to do thing that others can't." Shizuku just stared at him strangely before her eyes widened in understanding as she looked out at the rain. "Yes, the technique you saw me use was one of the six paths my eyes grant be access to, the Deva path, which grants me limited control over gravity." At this point Shizuku was staring at him with wide, gleaming eyes; she had known ninja were capable of amazing feats... but to be able to control one of the fundamental forces of the universe?

"What are the other paths?" Naruto sighed with a small smile.

"You've actually seen me use another, the Preta path, it allows me control over how Chakra moves, so I can absorb it or direct it into objects or people. It was how I begun to get your pathways to open up manually. Other than that I'm not sure, there isn't a lot of information available to help me find out." Shizuku nodded in understanding before frowning.

"Then how do you know there are six paths?" Naruto grinned as he instinctively reached for his Shakujou, taking comfort in the feel of the firm staff.

"The monks at the temple I lived in showed me some books about a man called the Sage of the Six Paths, he too was said to have possessed the Rinnegan, but so little is known about him because he lived hundreds of years ago. I don't know if I will ever unlock all the abilities of the Rinnegan but they seem to manifest at points where I am in need or desperate." He shrugged, returning to his more nonchalant demeanour. "But enough delaying, it's about time we worked on your Chakra control." Shizuku's groan echoed around the small cave.

* * *

It was still raining and Naruto had begun to take Shizuku's story seriously, then again he couldn't be sure if it had more to do with them being in Ame no Kuni. It had been a long and rather exhausting journey through the country, mostly due to the fact they had avoided any villages or towns they had encountered. After the first one they learned that Ame was currently embroiled in a rather vicious civil war. Nobody said it outright but the signs were all there.

Even in that one town people had been driven into factions; there were the loyalists to Hanzo of the Salamander. These people were either terrified of the man and his followers or genuinely believed the leader of Ame was right for the country. It was true that after the Third Shinobi war Ame had been left in a state of poverty and disrepair; ever since then Hanzo had worked to restore the country to what it had once been.

The there were the rebels, they were much harder to spot, for obvious reasons, but their presence was no less noticeable. Propaganda posters littered the walls, many covered in the same red cloud decal that seemed to be a symbol for the rebellion. It was hushed as much as possible by the loyalists; they tore down any posters in sight and brought any suspected rebel in for questioning. These were the people who believed either Hanzo wasn't a good leader or he wasn't doing things fast enough.

That wasn't what made Naruto cautious; it was seeing a certain woman that had down that. They had been walking down the street in the first town they came across after buying some provisions when a woman walked past them. She had been wearing a black cloak with red clouds adorning it, a blatant sign of the rebellion; and yet nobody did anything. People went out of their way to avoid the blue hair woman and Naruto knew why. She practically radiated power, at least in comparison to the surrounding people. Even under Naruto's Rinnegan eye he could get nothing, like with Gaara a thin layer of Chakra covered her entire body, making anything else difficult to discern.

After that the two had avoided any major villages or towns, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire of the brewing civil unrest. Naruto would have gladly offered his help but people who got mixed up in wars were targeted. When those targeted people couldn't be hurt they began to go after people close to them. Naruto had made a promise to Shizuku that he had no intention of breaking, he would protect her. So they quickly made their way north through the impoverished country.

Naruto was relieved to finally see the border to Kusa no Kuni.


	11. Storm III

**I am the man who makes other men pale! I am the man who makes women tremble in desire! The Great Sage Of Myobokuzan, the wonderful, the gallant, JIRAIYA!... Oh what? Oh yeah that's right, Digi doesn't own Naruto or something like that. **

* * *

**Sage**

_"The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet." - Aristotle_

* * *

In comparison to entering the country, leaving proved to be far more of a chore. The two of them had been checked for any 'contraband' which Naruto knew to mean any signs of rebel influence. It had taken a good hour before they were cleared to finally leave and cross over into Kusa no Kuni. Unfortunately for them, despite leaving the land of Rain, the clouds over head made no attempt to dissipate; Shizuku's mood seemed sombre after that.

Naruto had never taken much stock in borders between countries; they were mostly artificial anyway, only really being true on maps. However the difference between Ame and Kusa was almost strangely apparent. No sooner were they out of the relatively flat and barren country behind them before they found themselves walking through a large, jungle-esque area. Everything from the plants to the animals seemed vastly over-sized; mushrooms the size of small buildings seemed especially prevalent.

Another strange thing was that there seemed to be no obvious roads anywhere; they seemed to stop right at the border with Ame. This left them to trek through the jungle with only a small map to tell them the way. Naruto was never sure why, although he suspected it had to do with his Deva Path's gravity abilities, but he always had an innate sense of direction; he just instinctively knew which way was north and such. That proved helpful when the sky overhead became blotted out by the thick canopy of jungle foliage and they couldn't even tell where the sun was.

However this had the added benefit of blocking the rain which lightened the mood for the both of them; although they could have done without the rather oppressive jungle heat. Along that line the two had abandoned the rain-coats they had picked up in Ame in favour of their lighter attire; Naruto in his robes and Shizuku in her Miko outfit. However they decided to keep the sugegasa hats they had picked up; Naruto liked the look of them and they kept the upper half of his face hidden meaning he could keep his eyes open without anybody seeing them.

"You know, as a monk I'm supposed to be in tune with nature and the animals around me." Shizuku was quietly giggling to herself as Naruto held his hands in fists, the one around his Shakujou turning white. "But that would be a whole lot easier without all of these bugs!" As if to prove his point a rather large and lazy-looking fly landed on Naruto's outstretched arm. The blonde was physically restraining himself to not just slam his other hand down on it. The jingle of a monk's Shakujou was for the express purpose of warning insects and bugs away from him so he would not step on them; unfortunately they did not seem to be getting the message.

"I have no idea what you mean." Her voice was calm but Shizuku still had her hand across her mouth to suppress her giggles. Naruto had been getting more and more irritable the further they got into Kusa; far from the usual serene monk persona he normally wore. Naruto just cast her a rather pointed glance, his eyes momentarily flaring with Chakra to light up his Rinnegan.

"Why isn't this happening to you?!" The girl just shrugged; honestly she too had thought it was rather strange that not a single insect had come anywhere near her since arriving in the country.

"I don't know, I guess animals just like me better." Naruto just gritted his teeth as he shook off yet another bloodsucker looking for its next free meal. He sighed irritably as he noticed the area around them growing darker; no doubt the sun was going down; not that they could see it.

"Alright, well we might as well stop for the night anyway." At that Shizuku froze, looking at Naruto with wide eyes before turning that same frightened gaze around her.

"Here? As in the middle of the jungle?" Naruto nodded absently as he began the process of unsealing all of their equipment and supplies. "Are you kidding? Did you see the size of some of the animals we passed?" Naruto quickly waved her off with a smile as he continued to lay out the two sleeping mats they had; he had made sure to pick up a second one during their trip through Ame.

"Don't worry; this is the perfect opportunity for me to try something out." Her anxiety being replaced by curiosity for the moment Shizuku calmed down and looked at her blonde companion in interest.

"What?" Naruto just cast her a quick smile she knew meant he was either planning something or wanted to keep it a surprise. He settled down into his usual meditative position and began seeping his Chakra into the ground. Then, with all the control he could muster, he began to raise his arm and to Shizuku's amazement, the ground around them began to break down, quickly replaced by fine golden sand. His face scrunched up in concentration the blonde raised his other hand up, as if obeying orders the sand began to move, circling the pair until it formed a make-shift hut.

"Phew, I don't know how Gaara did that with such ease." He was nearly tackled off his feet when he stood up only to have Shizuku run at him, grabbing onto his shoulders and looking at him with wide eyes.

"That was so cool! Can you teach me that?" Naruto chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head as he sat back down, Shizuku descending with him onto her knees.

"Um not really." The girl's face fell which made the blonde's heart clench slightly at the sight.

"Oh, is it one of your Rinnegan abilities?" Naruto quickly shook his head only to earn a look of intense confusion from his female companion.

"No, actually it's something I picked up from a friend of mine, Gaara from Suna." Shizuku just frowned, poking at the walls of the makeshift hut to find them surprisingly strong and unyielding.

"Well if you picked it up why can't I? Do you not think I'm good enough?" Again Naruto found himself faced by a girl on the verge of tears and once again found his arms flailing out in front of him for no discernible reason.

"No no, nothing like that it's just, well, it's complicated." He looked down a bit at that, it sounded like a rather pathetic excuse and Shizuku seemed to agree.

"What do you mean complicated?" Naruto opened his mouth to speak but nothing came; he closed it with a frown before repeating this three times. He looked over at Shizuku; he wasn't sure if he was ready to tell the girl about his tenant. However as soon as he looked at her he saw that moment when she was sitting in the cave, rain pouring down in front of her as she curled in on herself. With a soft sigh his eyes lightened slightly and she turned back to look at her again.

"Have you ever heard of the Bijuu?"

* * *

"Wow." Shizuku just sat there, shocked at everything she had heard; she might have thought it was a joke if Naruto hadn't been so serious as he talked.

"Are you alright?" The violette just nodded dumbly, her eyes unfocused as she tried to process it all. It sounded so fantastical; her friend contained the most powerful demon in the world, and now another one too if his story was anything to go on.

"Yeah, it's just a lot to take in." Naruto nodded sympathetically, it was shocking enough when he had been told. Finally though the girl seemed to snap out of it, looking around the sand hut with renewed awe. "So you can do all this with sand because of that second demon inside of you, Shukaku?" Naruto quickly nodded, waving his hand to a small pillar of sand grew between them to demonstrate.

"Yes, the previous host was also able to do it too, but to a greater degree and with much more ease. Although that was probably due to the fact he had his entire life to practise, this is still fairly new to me. Also calling them demons is probably incorrect, they are just beings made entirely of Chakra, Bijuu would be the correct term." Shizuku stopped her awed gazing as she swivelled in place, looking at Naruto with a raised eyebrow.

"Tailed beast? Isn't that just as negative?" Naruto blinked at that before looking down with a frown, she did have a point after all.

"Unfortunately that is the only thing I can call them, anything else and people wouldn't know what I was talking about." Shizuku sighed but nodded all the same, her hands began idly playing with the sand on the ground, drawing absent patterns with her fingers.

"I wonder what that would be like, to be locked up inside of somebody just because you are powerful and feared. It just sounds so unfair, I mean like you said, they can think right? No intelligent animal should have to be caged up like that against their will." The blonde just stared at her for a moment, surprised but smiling all the same.

"Well the Kyuubi certainly doesn't make itself easy to talk to it; it's an uphill battle with that fox." Shizuku giggled at that, the thought of Naruto acting so flippant about such a powerful being was a rather amusing thought. "Anyway, it's about time we get onto your Chakra exercises." Shizuku's laugh immediately turned into a drawn out groan and it was Naruto's turn to chuckle. "Those don't sound like the noises of the 'best student ever'" He laughed again as she just looked at him with a deadpan expression before her head slumped forwards.

"It's just soooo boring though; can't we do something else for once like learn how to manipulate fire or wind?!" Naruto put his finger under his chin in a thoughtful expression as Shizuku's gaze turned hopeful.

"Hmmm, no." Her head immediately fell again and Naruto could have sworn the sounds of rain above them actually increased for a moment. "You need Chakra to do those things and right now you still haven't managed to find yours." The blonde was moderately surprised as his friend's head shot up, a determined expression across her firm features as she pulled herself into a relaxed cross-egged pose.

"I'll do it this time!" She closed her eyes as a look of intense concentration appeared on her face, crinkling her brow as her tongue started to poke from the corner of her mouth. Naruto sat against the wall of his self-made hut, watching the girl carefully, noticing no change in her Chakra whatsoever. After about five minutes Shizuku's shoulders slumped forward and she let out a long drawn-out breath.

"This is impossible, how am I supposed to find my Chakra when I don't even know what I'm looking for?!" Naruto sighed for a moment before looking up with what he hoped was an encouraging smile.

"You have to look deep within yourself until you find that tiny spark of warmth; you have to lock onto it and concentrate hard, fanning that spark until it becomes a small flame." Shizuku still looked dejected and for good reason, Naruto had already told her all this before and she still could not find what he was telling her to look for. The blonde thought for a moment, perhaps he was just going about this the wrong way?

"Tell you what, if you manage to find your Chakra tonight, I promise that tomorrow I will teach you how to climb trees without your hands." Shizuku's head shot up, stars twinkling in her eyes as she remembered how Naruto had introduced her to the concepts of Chakra in the first place. Once again a determined look crossed her face; however this time she tried to get into a proper meditative position like she had seen Naruto do so many times. The blonde was mildly impressed, her posture was a little off but it was a close approximation. Deciding to get his own time in while he could he got into the correct position, closing his eyes as he allowed his mind to clear.

* * *

"**Father's back!" **Naruto couldn't help the small smile that broke on his face as he heard the ever excitable voice of Shukaku break through the calm of the seal.

"**Quiet you pitiful Tanuki, that mere Ningen is and never will be the Sage so be silent before I end your pathetic ramblings myself." **And of course Naruto immediately sighed as the Kyuubi's angry retort once again plunged the seal into silence.

"It is good to see the both of you as well." The Kyuubi had become a lot more irritable since Shukaku had been added to the seal. As far as he understood the two couldn't actually interact on a regular basis; when Naruto wasn't in the seal their individual cells separated, or at least that was the impression he got from Kyuubi's contemptuous statements. However Naruto came into the seal quite regularly and thanks to the fox's intense distain for his fellow Bijuu that was enough to set him on edge.

"**Quiet Ningen, you are just as pathetic for never denying Shukaku of his insane delusions." **Naruto once again sighed, this was how it would always go; he would enter the seal, Shukaku would greet him and the Kyuubi would have some scathing comment that would immediately induce the Tanuki into a fit of rage. Sure enough not a moment later Shukaku began angrily banging on the bars of its cage, thrashing against the reinforced metal with its whole body.

"**Brother shouldn't say that! Father will get mad at you and then! Then you'll be punished!" **The Kyuubi merely grunted in annoyance before laying its giant head back down on its paws, ignoring the enraged cries of its fellow Bijuu. **"Aaahgg! DON'T IGNORE ME FOX!" **The best he got was a small twitch of the Kyuubi's ears causing the sand construct to let out another murderous cry. Naruto sat there in the middle of the room, just watching as the Ichibi vented its frustrations against the bars of its cage. Suddenly its ear twitched and it looked around, its eyes quickly settling on Naruto as it inched its face closer to the bars.

"**Father should tell the fox, father should punish the fox! You are father, you have to be father, you have father's eyes and father's staff and father's hair and father's eyes and I bet you have father's other possessions too!" **Naruto suddenly blinked in surprise at that; he had known about the sage's legendary artefacts before but he had never had a clear answer what they were. Between the Bijuu's insane attitude and almost sycophantic worship he forgot that, like the Kyuubi, it too must have known the sage.

"Shukaku, remind me about my possessions." Out of the corner of his eye Naruto saw the Kyuubi crack open a single eye and glare at him. He was obviously affronted Naruto would actually impersonate the sage just to get answers; however there was nothing he could do. Shukaku on the other hand practically preened, glad to be of help to the one he saw as his progenitor.

"**Of course! There was father's necklace, it was shiny and red; there were father's pots, you told us to stay away from those or we might get hurt because father was nice and he cared! Father had a sword too but he never cut people with it, Shukaku never understood why but father would pat Shukaku on the head when he asked! There was also..." **The Bijuu gained a look of intense concentration which might have amused Naruto if he wasn't so interested right now. The look of happiness as realisation dawned on its great face might have been amusing in another situation.

"**The rope! Father had that gold rope!" **It nodded once in satisfaction as its enormous tail swayed back and forth behind it contentedly. It peered down at Naruto with yellow eyes, expectation apparent on its sandy face before it leaned down. Knowing what to do now Naruto quickly walked over and scratched the enormous sand construct on the head. It let out a massive sigh that shook the bars of the cage slightly as it slumped onto one side. Naruto almost expected its giant foot to start twitching in pleasure but thankfully it didn't; Naruto didn't think he would be able to get that image out of his head.

"You did good Shukaku." If anything the great creature's look of contentment increased before soft but still bone-shaking snores reverberated around the seal.

"**How pitiful, using his insanity for your mindless questions; are you that depraved Ningen?" **Naruto looked over and gave the great fox a small smile, although there was a twinkle of amusement in his eyes.

"I have to use the resources available to me, although its descriptions were rather vague." He looked up, not entirely expecting a positive answer to his question. "Any help on that front?" The Kyuubi just snorted, once again blowing a gust of warm air over the blonde, causing his robes to move in the breeze.

"**Why, surely you have your loyal lap dog now? What possible use could I be Ningen?" **Naruto gave a small sigh as he returned to the centre of the chamber, sliding down into a relaxed sitting position.

"My name is still Naruto." At that he could have sworn he saw the great fox roll its slitted red eye but it may have been a trick of the light.

"**How wonderful for you." **Again Naruto could only sigh at the Kyuubi rebuking his attempts at engaging the great creature in meaningful conversation. **"Just leave so I can have my lonely cell back, it is better than listening to that blasted Tanuki snore." **Naruto gave a conceding nod before fading from the seal, allowing the Kyuubi to watch as the other cage vanished as well, once gain returning him to his solitude.

* * *

"Naruto!" The blonde's eyes shot open, searching around frantically for the danger as he heard his name being called.

"What?! What is it'?!" he blinked as he saw Shizuku a few inches in front of him, waving her hand in in front of him. She stopped when she saw his eyes open before blushing and moving back when she realised how close they had been.

"You wouldn't wake up when I called." Naruto ran a hand through his hair as he leaned back into a more comfortable position, accidently nudging his staff as he put his hands back.

"Sorry I was, uh, I was talking to them." Shizuku's eyes widened for a moment but she quickly shook her head of it.

"Naruto I did it!" The blonde blinked in surprise before a fox-like grin spread across his face.

"That's great!" Shizuku beamed at the praise, her eyes closed as she basked in it for a moment.

"Yeah, I found that spark you were talking about then just like that time you showed me I felt that warm feeling in my body." Shizuku felt amazing, her senses felt more alert than ever and she felt as though she could run miles without getting tired. It was as though she could feel the new energy coursing through her body like little streams of warm water. "You didn't tell me it felt so amazing." Naruto just tilted his head slightly with a small nostalgic smile.

"I wouldn't really know, because of the Kyuubi constantly dripping its Chakra into my system I've always had it; I don't know what it's like not to." Suddenly his smile turned into a confused frown as he looked over his companion, a blush suddenly alighting on the bridge of his nose.

"Uhh, Shizuku, did you go outside or something?" The girl blinked in surprise as she looked out of the hut before back to the blonde.

"No, why?" Naruto looked away for a moment, the blush intensifying as she moved.

"Your clothes and hair are wet." The girl blinked again before looking down; sure enough her skin had a thin sheen on moisture and her decidedly thin clothes were plastered against her body. Her eyes widened as she immediately threw her arms over her chest; she may have only been eleven but there were already signs of her becoming a woman.

"Ahh! What the hell?! Is this supposed to happen?" Naruto just ran through his thoughts in confusion, he had never read anything about this happening at the temple.

"I don't know, here let me..." he trailed off as he opened his eyes, examining the girl with his Rinnegan; his blush spread slightly but it quickly disappeared as he frowned. "Hey, your Chakra changed and its flowing differently." Shizuka was still covering her chest as she inched closer to the fire in order to dry off; strangely she noted that the heat seemed more uncomfortable than usual. She looked up at Naruto strangely, wondering what exactly he saw through those eyes of his.

"What do you mean different?" Naruto just peered closer which made the girl feel decidedly uncomfortable; it was like he was looking through her instead of at her.

"I'm not sure, your Chakra used to be light blue like most people's; they all look different but its only slight. Now yours looks like a much darker blue and instead of flowing erratically it's moving more calmly like water, or at least that's what it looks like." Naruto had nowhere near the vision of the Byakugan so he couldn't perfectly see the movement of Chakra through the pathways or tenketsu but he could see enough to spot how it flowed and the colour at least.

"What does that mean?" Naruto finally sat back, allowing his eyes to narrow like usual which was a small relief to Shizuku. He thought for a moment in silence as his friend continued to attempt to dry off by the fire; although it didn't seem to be working much to her distress.

"I have no idea. Maybe it has something to do with your elemental affinity?" At this point Naruto could only speculate; while in Suna he had noticed slightly more difference in people's Chakra that were ninja, especially Jounin. However it had never been to the extent that Shizuku's had changed. "In any case we won't find out now, we should get some sleep." The girl smiled timidly but gave a firm nod.

"Right." A small smirk played over her lips for a moment as she lay down to sleep. "And tomorrow you teach me how to wall-walk."

* * *

"This is awesome!" It was a few days after Shizuku had managed to unlock her Chakra and they were still making their way steadily through the jungle. The only difference was that Shizuku now took every opportunity she could to walk up any tree, mushroom or really anything vertical in sight. Naruto had thought it might grow tiresome to see her continually amazed by something that was so simple to most who learned to use Chakra. On the contrary it was rather refreshing to see her take such delight in such a small and trivial thing.

Then again, he guessed to a civilian who had only lived an ordinary mundane life would find such things to be extraordinary. He was surprised by her quick uptake; she got the exercise down within two days and was able to securely stay on the trees even while still. Although on the first attempt she had nearly put her back out trying to keep her body horizontal forcing Naruto to teach her how to channel Chakra to other parts of her body to reinforce her back and legs. Luckily once you could send Chakra to your feet, anywhere else proved to be much easier.

"Be careful." His only response was the echo of Shizuku's laughter as she jumped from one branch to another. He hadn't been thrilled when she began hopping from tree to tree but she seemed fairly apt at it and he rationalised he would be there to catch her if she fell so he allowed it. Suddenly she appeared by his side, dropping from a reasonable height but using Chakra to both reinforce her legs and cushion the blow.

Shizuku had been in relatively good spirits lately; things were just looking up for her. The dense foliage meant that the rain couldn't reach them, something that was a rarity for her when she was outside. Plus she now had access to her Chakra which meant she felt full of life and energy which only enhanced her now seemingly permanent bubbly attitude. The only strange thing was that every time she seemed to use Chakra in large amounts she would get wet for no discernible reason.

"It's fine, you don't have to worry." Her smile practically sparkled despite the lack of sunlight reaching them through the jungle canopy. "I have a great teacher after all Naruto-sensei." The blonde gave a small sigh along with his customary smile.

"Not you too Shizuku." The purple-haired girl merely gave a beaming grin before running off again, under Naruto's careful watch of course. He was glad the various large and dangerous animals were staying away from the pair for some reason but it never hurt to be a bit too cautious. As he watched her run he felt a sudden weight appear on his Shakujou; looking around he was surprised to see a small Capuchin monkey sitting there, staring at him with curious brown eyes. The blonde and the monkey just stared at one another for a few moments before the small mammal chittered excitedly.

"Hey, what the!" Suddenly the monkey raced across his arm, his little hands and feet tickling the monk as they clambered at his body. It paused around his neck for a moment, sniffing at the Magatama bead hanging from his ear before blinking in rapid succession and chittering again. He took it in his hands, nibbling it briefly before climbing down Naruto's back, once again eliciting a few laughs from the blonde. It did a full rotation around his waist before looking up, chirping like a bird and jumping off.

Naruto just smiled as he watched the excitable creature run off before frowning as he noticed he was a little lighter than usual. Glancing down his eyes widened as he realised the scroll containing all of their supplies and camping equipment was missing. He looked up shocked, just to see the monkey's tail disappear around the side of a tree. Without even thinking he took off after it, using Chakra to augment his movement.

"Get back here!" Shizuku saw and heard him run off, her eyebrows raised in confusion as she too took off after him, now somewhat able to keep up with the fast pace he set. However as fast as Naruto was the Capuchin was far more manoeuvrable, it also knew the jungle better than him. The only thing that allowed Naruto to keep track of the quick little simian was his ability to see its Chakra, even through the trees for a short distance.

After leading then on a merry little chase where both Naruto and Shizuku were forced to dodge stray branches due to Naruto missing when he tried to use Banshou Ten'in to capture the animal, the monkey finally stopped in a clearing. Naruto slowed to a stop, making very careful and deliberate movements towards the small black Capuchin who was just standing there, occasionally nibbling on the end of the scroll with its small pointy teeth. Raising an arm Naruto smirked; there was no way it would be able to doge him this time.

"Banshou-"

"Hey Naruto!" The monkey's head whipped round, already chittering excitedly before it seemingly vanished into a pile of leaves. Naruto sighed as the monkey disappeared just as Shizuku jumped into the clearing. "Why did you run off like that?" Naruto turned to her, considering telling her off but upon seeing her curious and innocent face he just didn't have the heart.

"A monkey stole the scroll with all the food and supplies." The girl blinked incredulously at the strangeness of the situation before letting out a giggle behind her hand.

"Well did you catch it?" Naruto just wearily shook his head, absently pointing to the pile of leaves the monkey had disappeared into.

"It ran off before I could grab it." He conveniently left out the fact that she was the one who alerted him to their presence in the first place. Shizuku just looked at him funnily before walking over to the pile of loose leaves.

"Hey cool, there's a door here." Naruto blinked before looking around; sure enough Shizuku was holding up one side of a trapdoor, peering down into the darkness it hid. "Maybe the monkey went in here?" Naruto just shrugged, it was possible; Shizuku smiled brightly at that before descending the steps. Naruto just looked at her like she was mad.

"What are you doing?" Shizuku gave the blonde the exact same look as she continued to walk down the steps carefully.

"What do you mean? We need those supplies don't we?" She said it as if she weren't walking down into a completely unknown corridor in the middle of a jungle that had no discernible reason for being there. "Now are you coming or not?" With that her head vanished as she walked further down the stone flight of steps. Naruto stared at the spot for a moment before his eyes widened and he ran after her.

"Hey wait up!" He caught up to her at the bottom of the stairs, peering into the inky darkness with difficulty while Naruto's superior eyesight had little trouble. It was just a long corridor with a few branches splitting off seemingly at random. The walls all had the same criss-crossing wooden pattern that was dizzying to try and follow while every so often there would be a small inlet with an unlit candle adorning the wall. Naruto walked up to the first one and channelled as much fire Chakra into his hand as he could; a small flame appeared over his finger tip which he quickly transferred to the candle.

"Oh great, how are we supposed to find the monkey in this place? It looks like it goes on forever." Naruto just sighed at the girl. It was her idea in the first place to come down here.

"Don't worry; if we get close enough I'll be able to see its Chakra, even through a few walls." Satisfied now Shizuku beamed before confidently walking into the darkness of the underground compound. Neither one noticed as they passed over an otherwise unassuming piece of floor, only for it to moments later crack open a single dull, brown eye.


	12. Storm IV

**Kukukuku, well it's true Digi-kun doesn't own Naruto, but soon I will have the means to claim it for myself in the Sharingan!**

* * *

**Sage**

_"The man of wisdom is never of two minds; the man of benevolence never worries; the man of courage is never afraid." – Confucius_

* * *

"Just what is this place anyway?" Shizuku was staring into the darkness beyond one of the many doorways lining the corridors as Naruto lit yet another candle with pure fire Chakra.

"I don't know, it looks abandoned. I read that a lot of the Third Shinobi War took place in Kusa no Kuni, maybe it's some kind of ninja base." Shizuku blinked as she tried to make anything in the smothering darkness beyond what Naruto had already lit.

"Wouldn't there be symbols for the village everywhere then? So far it's all just the same wooden pattern and candle brackets." Naruto frowned as he moved on to the next spot on the wall, all the while looking out for any Chakra signatures in the area. For all he knew the monkey was long gone along with the scroll; alternately it could have just completely abandoned it somewhere. While sealing scrolls, like any Fuinjutsu, did let off some Chakra it wasn't enough for Naruto to see through walls.

"I really don't think Shinobi would go about emblazoning their symbols everywhere, especially during a war." Shizuku looked around in confusion as she abandoned the room, not being able to glean anything from the oppressive darkness.

"Don't they wear those forehead protector thingies with their village's symbol on them?" Naruto nodded absently as he looked into a room; seeing nothing but banks of old-looking computers and a few desks he quickly came back out. "Why do they do that anyway? I mean, aren't they supposed to be sneaky? Isn't having the village you're from printed on your forehead kind of counterproductive?" Naruto sighed as the two moved on; he knew Shizuku was only making conversation because there wasn't much else she could actually do down here in the dark.

"I believe it's a matter of pride in your village, the place you grew up and want to protect." Shizuku nodded slowly as they walked, their feet clapping against the earthen slabs beneath them to echo down the hallways.

"But couldn't somebody just steal another village's forehead protector and frame them for something?" Naruto gave a small smile as he lit yet another of the seemingly hundreds of candles in the base.

"I'm sure somebody has thought of that and actually tried it in the past. And I'm just as sure somebody has found ways of preventing it from happening again. Remember if one village can do it then they all can." Again Shizuku nodded slowly, her lip pouting out slightly in a rather cute manner.

"Yeah yeah, you don't have to spell it out like I'm dumb." Naruto just chuckled as they walked on, his eyes scanning the area methodically for any sign of, well, anything. He smirked as he put on his best sagely voice and raised his head in an over-exaggerated display of haughtiness.

"A thing is never too often repeated which is never sufficiently learned my young student." He only heard Shizuku mumble something under her breath as she crossed her arms under her chest and pouted again.

"And that's another thing, you should stop with all the wise proverb stuff. It's really-" Naruto's eyes suddenly shot open in surprise as he leapt at the girl, tackling her around the waist to the ground just as a large slab of the floor flipped over. If he hadn't moved any sooner Shizuku would have most likely been crushed beneath the weighty stone block. The violette just stared at the spot with wide eyes, her breath coming out on short shallow gasps as Naruto quickly got to his feet again.

"Where are you?! Come out!" The blonde was worried, he had only sensed the attack moments before it happened by the minute amount of Chakra leaking into the earth. Now though there was nothing, nothing at all to even indicate the attack had happened; the hallways were quiet and Naruto couldn't even see a whisper of Chakra besides himself and Shizuku.

"Shizuku, stay close to me." The blonde whirled around when he met no response only to come face to face with a wall of solid earth. "Shizuku!" The blonde placed his hand up against the wall, quickly drawing the Chakra out of it before smashing his fist right through it, breaking down the now brittle earth. Unfortunately all he saw beyond it was darkness, Shizuku was gone and Naruto couldn't even see her Chakra signature. "SHIZUKU!" All he got was his own voice repeatedly echoing off of the wooden walls around him, mocking him with their shared plea. A growl rose in the blonde's throat as he slammed his shakujou down on the ground once, the sharp noise carrying all the way through the quiet base.

"I will raze this base to get her back if I have to! Do you hear me?!" Again only his own voice greeted his ears as the anger-filled call reverberated around him.

"Oh myyyyyy, is the bite-sized monk angry perhaps?" Naruto whirled at the voice that sounded like it was whispering right into his ear; only a darkened corridor greeted him.

"Where are you?" A dark but almost playful chuckling echoed from what appeared to be all around the blonde, like the very walls were speaking to him.

"Oh but isn't that part of the fun in this little game of hide-and-seek? Don't you know? You trespassed on Orochimaru-sama's property and now you're paying the price." Naruto quickly composed himself with a deep breath; focusing on his Chakra and not the voice that seemed to love to mock him. "Oh ignoring me? My my my, _that_ just won't do." There was a pause as Naruto continued to scan the area for any sign of the mystery speaker. "Perhaps you would be a little more inclined to indulge me if you knew what the prize of the game was hmm?" Naruto could now tell that whoever this was took almost sadistic glee in what they were doing.

"Find me, find me if you can little monk. I don't believe your young friend here has all that long." The voice began to fade away as it spoke, the last few word sounding like a whisper that was far too close for Naruto's comfort. Naruto slammed his staff through the corner of a wall in frustration, finding satisfaction in the chunks of mortar and splinters of wood now littering the ground. He quickly took another calming breath to stop his trembling fist before quickly forming five shadow clones, his current limit.

However as soon they began to run off into various corridors to cover more grounds large pillars of earth grew at astonishing rates beneath them. Three of them were instantly dispelled into clouds of smoke from being crushed whilst another was pinned by its arm to the ceiling. Naruto cursed, dispelling the remaining two as he took off at a run; when his vision was split multiple ways he lost some of his ability to see Chakra so it was harder to predict the attacks. As much help as the clones would be in covering more ground they were useless if they couldn't get more than a couple of feet.

"What a naughty little monk, cheating is strictly prohibited." Naruto had to visibly restrain himself from shouting back at the mysterious voice but he refused to give it the satisfaction. That same irritating musical voice just laughed at him as he sprinted down yet another corridor; sounding neither male nor female. The dark was no issue; his eyes granted him good enough vision to at least see where he was going.

"Tick tock tick tock, your friend's head's on the chopping block" Again the voice cackled madly while Naruto did his best to ignore it, frantically searching for any Chakra signature he could find. Finally he found success as he rounded a corner to see Shizuku tied up, bound by her wrists and ankles, just lying in the middle of the corridor. However as he approached her he slowed, shakujou raised defensively in front of him as his eyes narrowed.

"Shizuku?" The girl blinked her eyes open tiredly before they landed on Naruto; suddenly she was alert as she struggled against her bonds, shouting muffled words against the gag in her mouth. Naruto jogged over, staff still raised in a defensive manner as he quickly unbound the girl. She got to her feet wearily, rubbing her sore wrists before suddenly pouncing on Naruto, wrapping him up in a warm hug.

"I knew you would come Naruto!" Suddenly though the girl froze, her eyes going wide with shock as she jerkily turned her head to see Naruto with his outstretched fingers just finishing applying precise pressure point attacks down her spine. "N-Naruto?" The blonde's hair was shadowing his eyes as he stepped back from the now paralyzed girl, shakujou raised out in front of him.

"Where is Shizuku?" The girl just stared at Naruto with wide, tearing eyes, unable to move her body.

"N-Naruto, what's going on?" The monk's head sunk even lower as his hands clenched into fists; seeing Shizuku that way hurt him. He strode forward pressing his hand up against her stomach as his eyes narrowed.

"I will drain you dry of Chakra if you don't tell me where she is." All of a sudden the frightened, timid look of the violette's face vanished, replaced by a cruel smirk, far too wide for her own face. Her neck swivelled awkwardly at angles that weren't physically possible just to face the blonde as her usual teal eyes faded into a dirty brown.

"How very… fascinating." Before Naruto's very eyes the girl before him lost all natural colour, her entire form taking on an earthy brown hue before crumbling away into dirt. "My duplicates are exact copies, there isn't a single flaw or strand of hair different, how did you notice the difference?" Naruto pivoted on his foot to face where he thought the voice was coming from only to see a grotesque sight.

The ground of the corridor in front of him bulged outwards, rising up into a loose, curvy pillar of mud that began to drip large chunks of mud onto the ground where it was absorbed back into the floor. Slowly as more of the dirt fell away a form was revealed, that of a tall, lithe man wearing a dishevelled brown tunic and trousers with more dirt than fabric. However most horrifically his legs seemed fused together, still attached to the floor as if he was simply a stray root from some plant.

His skin was surprisingly pale from what Naruto could see beneath his dirty mop of dark hair that fell about his face, covering one eye and falling most of the way down his back. The one visible eye was the same dull brown that the clone had just before fading away into dust, gleaming with interest and a sickening glee. This was only strengthened by the abnormally large grin that almost threatened to split the man's face in two.

"My, aren't you just an interesting little monk? I wonder what else you can do." Naruto's eyes simply narrowed dangerously as he planted his staff in the ground firmly, taking a loose starting stance for the Kaminari no Mai.

"I'll show you, Banshou Ten'in!" The entirety of the man's upper body suddenly lurched forward as if pulled by some invisible robe however he stayed firmly rooted to the floor. Naruto still used the opportunity to cover the distance between them, lashing out with a solid finger strike to a nerve bundle that should have paralyzed the man long enough for Naruto to complete the manoeuvre. However to Naruto's surprise where his fingers impacted the man, his body just crumbled away like loosely packed dirt.

"Ohh, now that tickled." Without warning the man's body suddenly extended grotesquely until he better resembled a snake, quickly wrapping Naruto up like a boa constrictor. With his prey bound the man lowered his torso until the two were at eye level. "Hmm yes, I feel there are many fascinating things to discover about you once we get you onto the operating table." Naruto just grimaced as the pressure on his body increased as he was wrapped up tighter.

"N-Not going to, urgh, happen, Shinra Tensei!" He struggle for a moment before his eyes shot open, one of the rings that circled his pupils contracting for a split second. Like a wall an invisible burst of energy quickly expanded from the boy's body, strong enough to completely blast the man's snake-like lower body into chunks of useless earth. He lay there for a moment just staring at Naruto with those same lifeless eyes that continued to sparkle with intrigue.

"Ohh yes, I will have to bring you to Orochimaru-sama himself, he will want to take a good, looong look at you… _Naruto._" As he spoke Naruto watched as his body seemed to melt away into mud, quickly fusing with the floor until there was just a pair of bloodshot brown eyes staring at him out of the earth, then they too vanished. The blonde quickly picked up his shakujou, leaning on it for support as he gasped for breath; being slowly squeezed until you could feel your bones begin to creak was not pleasant.

He tried to figure out what had just happened; when the man moved into the floor his Chakra vanished completely, like he was literally nothing but actual mud. However there, while he was choking him, it was all too visible; Naruto didn't know how anybody could just vanish like that. It was weird but he could have sworn the man's Chakra was brown; that in itself was incredibly strange. He tried to rationalize that it must have simply been a clone of some sort but the more he thought about it the more he was sure that was the real man in the flesh, or mud.

The worst thing was that Naruto realized why it seemed so familiar, the man's Chakra was different in the same way Shizuku's was. However instead of his Chakra flowing like water through a stream it seemed sluggish like liquid mud, trickling down a hill. In some places when he had been merging with the floor Naruto had seen his Chakra stop moving all together. Naruto filed that information away for later, he was sure it would somehow be important, for now he still had to focus on getting Shizuku back.

He continued to run through the halls, noting that the voice seemed conspicuously absent as well as the fact that there seemed to be fewer choices about where he could go. Fairly soon, before he could get frustrated enough to start blasting through some walls, he found himself in a large open room that was already lit. The light hurt his eyes for a few moments after running through the dark tunnels for so long and he was forced to cover them with his arm. When he lowered it his eyes widened in surprise.

The room was full of Shizuku copies, all of them fake if their Chakra signatures were anything to go on. Disturbingly they all felt like extensions of that one man more than normal clones which put the blonde on edge. As if he could be summoned with a thought the man appeared on the ceiling, melting out of the roof to hang their limply, again resembling a root. Before he could do much though all of the Shizuku copies turned to look at him, their teal eyes watering.

"Oh dear, so many little girls to pick from and yet all of them are fake… how sad." As he spoke the man's body stretched down from the ceiling, his torso coming up to face the blonde with a sickening grin. "Or are they?" Naruto clenched a fist as he raised his other hand, ready to blast all of the clones away if he had to.

"I don't have time for your games; tell me where the real Shizuku is!" Quickly the man out up a hand, a playful smirk on his twisted features.

"Ah ah ah, I wouldn't go launching one of those fancy gravity blasts Naruto-kun. You see, little Shizuku is somewhere in the room; you wouldn't want to hurt her now would you? Didn't you make a promise that she would never cry again?" Naruto suddenly froze as he stared at the limp man who simply grinned back like he was meeting an old friend after many years.

"How do you know that? And how do you know my name?" The man let out a quiet chuckle that became increasingly sinister as it went on, suddenly dropping to the floor as his body splashed out like a drop of mud on the floor. As it congealed back together into his body his head swivelled on his neck to stare with piercing eyes at the monk.

"Oh but I know you Naruto-kun, I know all about you. Your Rinnegan, little Shizuku, even the special guests in your stomach." The blonde took an involuntary step back as the man finally re-formed, his legs still fused in that disturbing way. "You see, Orochimaru-sama saw fit to grant me a tremendous power in return for keeping this little out-of-the-way base safe for him. He allowed me to become one with the earth, giving me an un-killable body of mud and dirt. Not only that but I am able to reach deep into your mind with only a single touch; just one brush and all your little secrets come tumbling out." He smiled again, his body growing slightly as he was raised higher into the air.

"I am Midara, guardian of the northwest research facility. Now, how should we proceed with our little game?" By this point Naruto's eyes were shadowed by his hair, his hands clenched into fists that trembled ever so slightly.

"I said, give me back my friend." There was no prior indication, no subtle hints, no warning whatsoever. One moment they were in a brightly lit room full of Shizuku clones, the next everything just exploded. When the dust finally cleared it revealed a large layer of sand covering everything, most of the duplicates themselves having been broken down into sand grains. Midara himself was tightly bound in a cocoon of the fine golden grains, only his head sticking out.

"You think a trap made of earth can hold me? Have you listened to nothing I've-" The mud-man suddenly paused, his eyes widening in panic as his struggled became more apparent.

"What are you doing?!" Naruto allowed the briefest of smirks to cross his features as he brought a second hand up, focusing all his control on the sand binding the slippery man.

"You know my abilities, so take a guess." The man growled in irritation, his face distorting grotesquely as he attempted to change his body and escape the sand prison.

"Your Preta path, but how!?" Naruto chuckled slightly as the sand began to constrict around Midara's body.

"You obviously didn't look all that hard into my memories then. The Preta path works against anything my Chakra makes contact with and this sand is saturated in it." His expression became darker as his glowing Rinnegan eyes pierced through Midara like he wasn't even there. "Now tell me where Shizuku is. Even if your body is immune to regular attacks I bet it won't work if you're drained of Chakra." As if to punctuate the point the mud-man began to feel dizzy from the quick rate he was losing his energy.

"Go to hell brat!" The man tried to spit in Naruto's direction as the blonde walked closer but the sand constricted even further, making him gasp loudly. The man's mouth twitched up in a sickening facsimile of a grin as he looked directly at Naruto. "Go ahead, crush me. See if you get your little girl back ever again." Naruto just maintained his smile which had once again settled into his usual serene look.

"I've already said I would raze this base to the ground before I allow her to be hurt. You've seen my memories, am I lying?" The struggling man only growled again before laughing darkly between strained breaths. "Anyway…" He jingled his shakujou casually causing the man to suddenly look at the simple staff with fear "…I don't need to crush you when I have this right?" Midara only narrowed his eyes as Naruto raised the shakujou until the end of the staff was just in front of the mud-man's forehead.

"Last chance Midara of the northwest base, tell me where Shizuku is." Naruto's only reply was another failed attempt to spit at him before his eyes narrowed and he tapped the end of the staff against the insubstantial man's head. There was the distinct sound of a gong ringing around the room for a moment and when it passed Midara had tensed up, his eyes glazing over slightly.

"Heh, you think this is the end brat? Orochimaru-sama will find you eventually, nobody can ever defeat him. Eventually you'll be laid down on a cold metal table and he'll poke and prod at those eyes of yours until nothing remains." As the man spoke his skin began to turn ashen, his hair falling away in clumps of mud as his body began to destabilize without the necessary Chakra to hold it together. "Just you wait and see Jinchuuriki, you'll die someday, someday soon." Naruto narrowed his eyes as the last of the man finally melted away into a small brown puddle of the floor.

His gaze was torn away as he suddenly heard a deep gasp for air and a choking cough. He looked around only to be surprised as Shizuku was held up by his sand in the exact position Midara had been in moments ago. With a thought that made his slightly queasy Naruto realized Midara had been holding Shizuku inside of his body this whole time and that was why he couldn't sense her or see her Chakra. He allowed the sand to fall away, catching her as she fell to the ground limply, still drawing in large breaths of fresh air.

"Shizuku are you okay?" The purple-haired girl offered him a weak smile, her eyes lidded as her head bobbed exhaustedly in his arms.

"He got mud all over my miko outfit." Her voice was rather weak and croaky but it still managed to get a small laugh out of Naruto.

"Come on, let's go." He gently picked her up, pulling her soundly onto his back where she gratefully wrapped her arms around his neck to hold on. As they walked her head would loll from side to side and her eyes began to droop but to her credit she stayed awake.

"What did you do to him?" Her voice was quiet, very different to how she usually acted; Naruto thought it was kind of cute. He just looked down thoughtfully as they made their way back through the winding passages of the base.

"My shakujou has the ability to permanently take away somebody's ability to use chakra. Without it his body couldn't hold itself together so he fell apart." Shizuku nodded tiredly as they walked closer to the exit, snuggling her face into his neck slightly to get more comfortable, eliciting a small blush from the monk.

"Is he dead?" The girl felt he blonde tense at her words, his steps pausing for a moment, the bright light of the outside just a few steps away.

"No." And with that Naruto walked on, vanishing from the base as his form was silhouetted by the bright light from outside.

* * *

"Oh hey, it's the monkey." Naruto's eye was twitching rather violently as he stared at the small Capuchin monkey who simply stared right back, chittering occasionally and nibbling at the scroll it was still carrying. Shizuku just sleepily waved at the small animal; it cocked its head slightly before parroting the action back to her making the sleepy girl chuckle.

"He's cute, can we keep him?" Naruto was still partially frozen, his eye now in excessive spasm as his mind re-booted from the crash it had undergone.

"He wasn't even in the base?!" Naruto's face was now a rather virulent shade of red as he trembled in mixture of exhaustion and frustration. However Shizuku quietly giggling into his ear calmed him down somewhat and he settled for slumping down onto the ground. Shizuku finally took the opportunity to slip off his back, lying down on the soft ground and letting her eyes finally close to get some much needed sleep.

The monkey scampered over to the pair, occasionally turning his head this way and that as he took in the young blonde monk and his sleeping companion. He held out the scroll in his small hands, shrieking a few times before dropping it and scurrying up Naruto's staff to perch there, ignoring the blonde for now as he began to pick insects out of his fur. Naruto just blinked at the strange sight before falling over on his back, leaving the staff upright in the ground to not disturb the little Capuchin.

"You know you really caused us a lot of trouble little guy." The monkey looked his way for just a moment, observed him and quickly went back to what it was doing. Naruto gave a dry chuckled as he raised his hand, once again bringing the sand up to form a makeshift hut. He noticed his arms burned slightly from the large influx of the Shukaku's Chakra he had used inside the base but he figured a nights rest would fix that, it usually did for everything else.

As his eyes began to close he cast a glance over to where Shizuku was curling up around herself, pulling her thin clothes closer to her body. With a wary sigh the blonde picked himself up and walked over, carefully draping his heavy cloak over her shivering form. Days in the jungle could be very warm and humid but at night it could get very cold. He smiled tiredly as the girl instinctively pulled the cloak around herself before a frown manifested on his brow.

'_I nearly lost her today. I wasn't strong enough to protect her at the start. I need to start taking my job as her teacher seriously. Starting tomorrow I'll teach her things that will actually protect her when I can't.' _With a sleepy nod of satisfaction the blonde retreated back a little, having the good sense to grab a sleeping mat before crashing down on it, falling asleep almost as soon as his head hit the ground.

* * *

"My elemental affinity?" Naruto nodded as he walked, they were once again making their ay steadily through Kusa no Kuni, now in an eastern direction on their way to Kaminari no Kuni.

"Yeah, now that you have access to your Chakra and have begun control exercises we should get your affinity as soon as possible." Shizuku's eyes lit up; she had really recovered well from the whole underground base incident and was back to her old cheery self by the morning. Then again that may or may not have been due to the new travelling companion they had picked up. The little Capuchin was currently riding along on Naruto's shakujou, occasionally playing with the rings at the end of the staff to make them jangle more. Shizuka had affectionately named him Maseru, although Naruto had no idea why.

"Oh cool, then can you teach me awesome Jutsu like breathing fire or firing bolts of lightning!?" Shizuku was looking at him with stars in her eyes which made the blonde slightly nervous. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as he looked away, suddenly finding the grain of his staff's wood very interesting.

"Actually the only Jutsu I know is the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Everything else is either due to my Rinnegan or my new sand abilities." Her shoulders slumped at that with Naruto once again noting the sound of the rain increasing for just a moment; it might have been his imagination though. "But I'm sure we can pick up some Jutsu scrolls once we find your affinity." As if a switch had been flipped 'bubbly' Shizuku was back, looking at Naruto with fresh determination and glee.

"Alright! So how do we find my affinity?" Naruto smiled confidently as he strode on, noticing that the trees were beginning to thin out slightly and more of the rain getting through the canopy which was a good sign.

"We need some paper, Chakra paper; you channel some into it and it reacts differently depending on your affinity. Most people only have one, others with bloodline limits can have two or three and then when most Shinobi become Jounin they develop a second. Except you can only see your second affinity on chakra paper once you master your first, otherwise the first overpowers the second. You have to train to be able to hold back that specific elemental chakra." Shizuku nodded excitedly, happy to be finally learning something again, even though the ability to walk up walls was still incredibly cool.

"Alright, then, where do we get Chakra paper?" At that Naruto smirked even as he pulled up his cloak's hood to protect against the rain which was now becoming even more apparent.

"Well there are three places in the elemental nations that produce it, Konohagakure no Sato, a few islands in Mizu no Kuni, and Takigakure no Sato in Tani no Kuni. Luckily, Takigakure is on our way to Kaminari no Kuni." Shizuku's eyes widened in happiness that they were already so close; of course it didn't last long as she too pulled up the hood of her cloak to ward off the rain.

"Unfortunately however I have no idea where Takigakure is." Shizuku nearly tripped and fell over at that; righting herself with a slight flush she looked at Naruto strangely; the blonde merely sighed. "They're supposed to be really secretive; even merchants are blindfolded and led through some caves before they're allowed in the village. Chiriku-sempai had been there once; apparently they get the paper from this enormous tree in the centre of the village." Shizuku blinked in confusion, also to get water out of her eye as a rain droplet fell down her face, but mostly in confusion.

"Well if merchants get there it can't be too hard to find." Naruto just sighed and rubbed the back of his head; he almost used his Shakujou to do it but remembered Marseru at the last moment.

"I wouldn't be too certain, the village prides itself on never having been invaded, not even once." As if some divine being chose that moment to stress Naruto's point the treeline finally broke. The two pre-teens found themselves looking over a large cliff with an incredible vista-like view stretching out in front of them. As far as the eye could see various valleys that seemed completely subsumed by forest spanned the landscape. Rivers flowed throughout the whole scene with various waterfalls dotted around from the numerous cliff faces. Shizuku blinked in amazement at the beautiful yet daunting scene.

"Wow, I can suddenly see why." Naruto on the other hand just groaned, having to lean on his staff for support all of a sudden.

"I still can't see any roads!"

* * *

**A/N: Can anyone guess where the name of the monkey comes from? (And no you can't just type the name into Google and get the answer)**


	13. Storm V

**Digi doesn't own the boss but he's going to be the Rokudaime Hokage and I'll be the Nanadaime so it doesn't matter!**

* * *

**Sage**

_"I have not failed, I have just found a thousand ways that do not work" – Thomas Edison_

* * *

Luckily for the two of them they actually managed to stumble across a road after finding a winding path to take them down the cliff-face. It wasn't very wide or well maintained but it was a definite step up from trekking through seemingly uncharted jungle aimlessly. The trio of boy, girl, and monkey steadily made their way along the road, noticing it begin to widen as well as a few signs of better up-keep. They quickly found out why when it suddenly merged with a much better-maintained road that was actually paved.

After that it wasn't long before they reached a small town; Shizuku was grateful for the opportunity to change her clothes and get them cleaned while Naruto stocked up on their supplies. Currently they were sitting in a small outdoor café, a plate of steaming dango between them which Shizuku was happily munching her way through. They were getting some odd looks from the town's residents; Naruto guessed it wasn't every day you saw such a young monk and miko eating casually while occasionally feeding a small Capuchin monkey.

However as they ate Naruto was casting a well-hidden eye around them, not entirely sure what he was looking for himself until he spotted them. A small trio walking along the road, rather unremarkable save for the headbands they all wore. The simple metal plate was engraved with what appeared to be two mirrored lightning bolts that the blonde knew to be the symbol of the hidden waterfall village. Naruto smiled at that, it was good to see there was a Shinobi presence here, it meant they couldn't be too far off from the village itself.

Usually Hidden Villages made good shows of protecting the various towns and settlements within their respective countries. However most of the time it was merely for appearance's-sake, ninja rarely did anything for free, especially if it spread out their available manpower. If there was an actual patrol in the village and not just some Shinobi on their way to, or back from, a mission then it was a good guess to say Takigakure no Sato was close. Unfortunately Naruto knew he couldn't just follow them back to their village; as soon as they left the town they would take off at speed and if the two of them were caught running like that it would be highly suspicious.

Naruto had tried asking around town for the way into Taki but the residents had been very tight-lipped. Apparently even merchants had to go through a special process before being allowed to enter the village. With a sigh the blonde quickly paid for their food and motioned for his companion to follow him. He couldn't follow the ninja but nothing was stopping him from travelling in the general direction they were going. Originally Naruto had planned on using his Rinnegan to seek out the area of high Chakra density a hidden village would surely be, but he then remembered Shinobi villages had defences against that kind of thing.

It was started by Konoha during the founding of their village; the wife of the Shodai Hokage had constructed an enormous barrier array that would not only hide the village, giving more credit to its name, but also alert a special team of any and all entries into the village. However it obviously couldn't account for people leaving the barrier if Naruto was able to leave with the ease he did. Other villages had similar countermeasures, mostly against the threat of the Byakugan and Sharingan which could both see Chakra.

At first Naruto had been rather excited when he found the name Mito Uzumaki, going on to discover lots about the Uzumaki clan from the extensive library in the temple. The old Hokage had always told him he was an orphan and didn't know who his parents were; he had always taken that to mean his given name was just chosen at random. However it had still been fun for the young monk-in-training to imagine for just a moment he actually had a clan, a rather powerful one at that if the history books were anything to go on.

Unfortunately the Uzumaki, along with their home village Uzushiogakure no Sato, had long been wiped from the Elemental Nations. On top of that Naruto had none of the recognisable characteristics of the clan famed for their longevity. He had neither the traditional red hair nor common purple eyes, he didn't count the fact his Rinnegan was purple as much as he would like to. Still the blonde briefly enjoyed the fleeting fantasy of having a family, even if they were spread to the four winds of the continent.

Back in the present Naruto had moved onto Plan B, which involved a lot of aimless wandering until they happened to come across a clue to Taki's general whereabouts. With that in mind the duo, or trio if you counted Maseru, left the town in the same direction as the Taki Shinobi. Being the country that it was it didn't take long for Naruto to come across a nice large clearing at the base of an even larger waterfall that provided a nice background roar.

"Why'd we stop here? I thought we were looking for Taki?" Naruto just gave Shizuku a fond grin as he shrugged off his travelling cloak, a thin pole-like protrusion of sand rising from the earth to catch it. While travelling out of Kusa and into Taki Naruto had worked relentlessly on his manipulation over the element. He was still nowhere near the mastery Gaara had held but he was definitely closing the gap with his determination and stamina. He pointed over to the raging waterfall behind him as he also began to remove the top portion of his robes, making Shizuku blush for reasons she couldn't quite fathom.

"We are, that's why we're here at a waterfall." For being only eleven Naruto had a well-trained physique thanks to the rigorous and scheduled training undergone at the temple. His muscles were lean and developed but not overly-bulked to the point where they would hinder movement. Monks trained their entire lives so they could run through their training kata flawlessly, able to hold certain awkward positions for hours at a time in deep concentration.

"You're kidding me? You just expect to search every waterfall in Tani no Kuni and just hope to stumble onto a hidden village?" Naruto just gave a large grin and a small nod as he rolled his shoulders, loosening them as he created more sand construct to hold his top and pouches.

"That too, but I also want to move onto the next level of wind manipulation training." Shizuku widened her eyes in understanding; occasionally she would see Naruto split leaves with his Chakra and after she had asked he had explain all about the various elements and their individual chakra types. She gulped as she looked up at the enormous waterfall relentlessly pounding down on the small pool next to them. She wasn't sure what she had expected when Naruto had told her about this stage in wind training but perhaps something, smaller.

"You're going to cut... that?" Naruto nodded excitedly; in honestly he had been waiting for an opportunity like this since leaving Suna and he was raring to go. He had gotten to the point where he could split leaves almost absently, even using different parts of his body; it no longer provided any meaningful challenge to him. The same could be said for the initial stage of fire manipulation, although Naruto could learn that at his leisure so there was less rush.

"That's the plan anyway, we'll move from waterfall to waterfall each day, do our usual exercise and look for a way into Taki." With that he smiled and reached into one of the pouches he had placed on the new sand-table he had made. After rummaging for a moment he removed a small scroll with a few intricate designs around the edges. On the middle it was printed with a very ornate and archaic kanji for 'elements'; in all, the scroll looked rather old and precious. Shizuku nearly fumble it when Naruto casually threw it over to her.

"This is one of the scrolls my sempai gave me before I left the temple; it contains all of the introductory stages to elemental manipulation. You should get as much practise as you can in so I figured you could start training in your element a bit early." Shizuku just looked at him and the scroll in confusion as the blonde made his way over to the waterfall.

"But don't we need to figure out my affinity first?" Naruto looked back over his shoulder with a serene smile that made Shizuku a little hot despite her thin clothing.

"Well technically an affinity only points to the element you would have the most ease in learning. You can technically learn any of them, although the one that opposes your affinity will generally be far too difficult to master. Try out water manipulation first, I'd take an educated guess that is your affinity anyway. The Chakra paper would just be to confirm it, or see if you have a bloodline." Shizuku nodded in understanding as she unravelled the scroll, surprised by the level of detail it went into regarding each individual element.

By the time she had found the section on water-natured Chakra Naruto had already created a small platform for himself out of compacted sand just in front of the waterfall. In twin puffs of smoke two identical copies of the blonde appeared and took their places next to him as the original tested out the waters with a hand. The power of the falling water was remarkable; he had heard monks meditated underneath waterfalls on occasion but after feeling how strong the flow of water was it seemed a little daunting. Even so he plunged his hands into the cold waters and began to channel as much wind Chakra as he could.

While Naruto began the next step of his own training Shizuku could only watch on in amazement as the tiniest cut in the flow of the impressive waterfall appeared on either side of his outstretched hands. She moved further away, towards the more calm waters further down the large stream. Her scroll recommended a still pond to begin with but the girl reasoned she had to work with what she had. Re-reading the scroll just to be sure, the violette nodded her head determinedly as she placed her hand flat across the water.

The point of the exercise was to pull your hand away from the water, bringing a small pillar of the liquid with it. The higher you could raise your hand without breaking the pillar, the better your control over the element was. Shizuku took a calming breath as she remembered all of the instruction she had received from Naruto about Chakra. She quickly found that small flame at her core, manipulating it, guiding the Chakra into her hand where she held it. Gently she began to expel the Chakra, imagining it liquid and flowing like the scroll instructed.

Ever so slowly she pulled her hand away from the stream, her eyes widening in amazement as a small strand of water connected with her palm and rose with it. However with her excitement came a drop in her concentration causing the small strand of water to flop lifelessly back into the stream. She looked over to Naruto to tell him of her initial success only to see the blonde with an intense look of concentration she didn't see from him often. His eyes were open and steeled as he focused his will into halting the flow of the mighty waterfall.

Spurred on by this the purple-haired girl quickly returned to her own task, her determination and resolve renewed as she once again lay her hand flat against the clear water.

* * *

Over the next week the two youths improved steadily with their respective techniques, Shizuku slightly faster at her own due to it being less complex. Naruto was also having difficulty with how the waterfalls they stopped at each day varied in width. He could already cut the entire waterfall's flow but not by himself, he had cut it down to only a single shadow clone but he wanted to master the exercise on his own so he continued on.

Shizuku was surprisingly having more ease with her own training; in the first day she had worked on spreading out her Chakra flow to her entire hand in order to get a thicker pillar. After that it was fairly simple to just keep extending the small water pillar while maintaining her focus. She knew the ultimate goal of the exercise was to get it up to at least her waist while maintaining it with as much ease as possible. This was tested by the fact she would have to stand up halfway through raising it.

One day she had even tried attempting to speed up the rate at which she could draw the Chakra-laced water up with some moderate success. Right now she could just about raise her little pillar of water to her mid-thigh meaning she was almost there. Naruto had congratulated her on her incredible progress the few times he had come over to supervise. Even with his almost in-exhaustible reserves, training so much in wind Chakra was tiring for the blonde.

Right now the two were relaxing in front of the tenth waterfall on their little tour through the country, leaning up against the enormous cliff it fell from. They had only just arrived but the sun was beginning to set so they had decided to forgo training for the day to recuperate. They were currently just chatting absently, about little things like Naruto's time in the temple and Shizuku's time in her village. It actually surprised Naruto how much mischief the girl had managed to get up to in her time.

It turned out she hadn't really appreciated being shunned and scorned for something she couldn't control; an experience Naruto could relate with. She had taken out her frustrations with various pranks on the villagers, something that hadn't really improved her situation but brought her a much needed sense of satisfaction. Of course she got caught more than Naruto did when he did pranks and while funny, they were nowhere near as elaborate. Even so Naruto found himself laughing with her as she regaled one of the many humorous incidents, trading them for Naruto's own experiences.

"-and so by the time she realised it wasn't her cat I had already managed to paint the front of the house bright orange!" The two of them burst out laughing as they reclined against the craggy stone cliff, Shizuku leaning slightly on Naruto as she sighed out in contentment.

"This is really nice Naruto; I wish you could have come to my village sooner to get me away from there." She sighed again softly as she rested her head on the blonde's shoulder; Naruto wasn't sure what to make of the gesture but returned her smile. "I guess you're like the knight that saves the princess from the tower, except you're a monk and I'm hardly a princess." Naruto chuckled at that, earning a little of Shizuku's ire as she looked up at him with a frown. "What?" Naruto just absently waved, turning his gaze up to the sky, tracing a few of the stars in his head.

"I never understood the whole princess or prince deal, I don't get why just because you're born to a Daimyo you are royalty. What makes you better than other people? It's like in my old village, the clans there like the Hyuuga and the Uchiha were practically considered royalty, but what exactly made them special? I mean, just because they have weird eyes doesn't make them better than others." Shizuku sighed softly as she returned her head to her little perch on the blonde's shoulder.

"I guess you can talk huh? It's just the way things are I guess, royalty is royalty and everybody else is just everybody else." Naruto smirked as he stared up at the moon, its crescent shape hanging over the two of them just like everybody else on the continent; an excellent equalizer.

"Nah, I've never really cared for all that fate and rights by birth stuff. I mean you can make it rain anywhere you go, what princess can say that?" Shizuku giggled as her face flushed a pale shade of red for a moment; she quite liked the idea of Naruto comparing her to a princess for some reason. The blonde suddenly got to his feet, turning around and adopting a regal posture; his face turning up slightly into a mock sneer as he offered a hand down to the girl.

"If you would my Ame-hime?" Shizuku just giggled again before coughing into her hand and looking away with faked apathy.

"But it wouldn't be proper Monk-san, don't you agree?" Naruto's façade broke quickly as a grin spread across his face, quickly mirrored by his companion. However the mood was quickly ruined by Marseru jumping atop Naruto's head, clinging onto a few blonde strands as he chittered excitedly. Shizuku stood up on her own, giggling at Naruto and the Capuchin with her mouth covered by her sleeve. "I think Maseru wants to join in." As if agreeing with her the little monkey stood up, still perched on Naruto's head, and copied his regal posture for a moment, making Shizuku burst out with laughter.

However Naruto suddenly quietened as his gaze drifted to a copse of trees a good distance away. As if that was the trigger a group of Shinobi suddenly appeared from the area, landing on the ground in the recognisable blur of movement that was a shunshin. With some surprise Naruto noted that the entire squad, six of them, were all women; all with their head veiled by hoods and cloths that covered the lower halves of their faces.

"Identify yourselves; you are dangerously close to Takigakure without authorisation." Naruto frowned when they didn't quite specify exactly how far they were from the village. Deciding to just lay along and see if the Shinobi would be willing to guide them Naruto held his hand up slightly in a show of surrender.

"I'm just a travelling monk on his journey with my companion here." He smiled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head, noticing a few of the Shinobi's hands twitch toward their kunai pouches as he did so. "I was actually looking for Taki with my friend, would you be willing to take us there?" The lead Kunoichi blinked in surprise at the audacity of the monk as she turned to her squad-mates. They spoke in hushed voices for a while that even with his Chakra-enhanced hearing Naruto couldn't quite make out. Finally they turned back, the same woman speaking again; she had shiny black hair and light green eyes from what Naruto could see.

"If you want access into Takigakure no Sato you are required to be blindfolded and have a disorienting Genjutsu placed over you, do you know what that is?" Naruto nodded in confirmation, as did Shizuku behind him; Naruto had gone through most of the major Shinobi disciplines with her as they were the main uses for Chakra in the world. Shizuku had been interested in the idea of Genjutsu but she didn't think it was nearly as cool as normal Ninjutsu sounded.

"Very well, we were on our way back from patrol anyway." The woman made a hand motion and two of the squad came forward, producing strips of cloth which they quickly bound around the two teenagers' eyes. Another began to run through hand seals for the Genjutsu which would rob the two of their sense of direction and muffle their hearing. Unfortunately for them Naruto's Preta path immediately absorbed the foreign chakra in his system on reflex, rendering the Jutsu useless, not that the Taki-nin knew that. And he sure wasn't going to tell them and make himself even more of a threat in their eyes.

After being somewhat frogmarched through the jungle with Shizuku stumbling every few steps due to the Genjutsu Naruto felt the ground change to a more rocky surface. Naruto could tell they were standing close to another waterfall, not the one they had been by before, and were halted for a moment. Naruto desperately wanted to peep through the blindfold as he heard the sounds of the water diminish slightly; wanting to know exactly what was going on. All he could see right now were the vague outline of the Kunoichi by their Chakra, all varying shades of light blue.

He had spent a lot of time pondering the varying shades of people's chakra; initially he had believed it was just due to everybody's chakra just being different. However with the number of people in the elemental nations and only limited shades of blue that seemed unlikely. From what he knew everybody in the world was supposed to have a different chakra signature, with twins having the most similar almost to the point of being the same. That alone also meant it wasn't dependent on DNA but something else.

From Naruto's perspective if the colour of Chakra wasn't part of the signature itself it must represent something different. He looked around for a moment, his eyes quickly landing on the lead Kunoichi who had spoken, her Chakra was the darkest of the group with the Shinobi leading him and Shizuku through the tunnels they had just entered being the next darkest. Perhaps it had something to do with age? Or maybe it was their chakra capacity? Naruto sighed slightly in frustration, the Taki Kunoichi mistaking it for frustration at his supposed lack of direction. In fact Naruto was memorising each turn they took through the apparent maze of tunnels they were traversing.

For all Naruto knew the colour of a person's Chakra could mean any number of things; it could be to do with their affinity, their outlook on life, their diet, anything. Then of course there were people like Shizuku and Midara who completely threw any conceptions he might have out the window. His own companion had a different Chakra than any other he had seen yet and Midara's wasn't even blue. Naruto was slightly frustrated he couldn't see his own chakra, even when he looked at his body; he guessed it was to stop him just seeing the Chakra in his own eyes which would render him practically blind.

He shrugged his shoulders after a while of thinking; it was something to ponder in meditation, not while traversing unknown tunnels while being escorted by a group of trained Shinobi. He just settled for counting and memorising the various twists and turns he wasn't supposed to be able to feel. He had no intentions of doing anything wrong in Taki but he had promised to protect Shizuku no matter what so he could never be too prepared for anything, even escaping a ninja village... again.

* * *

"Time to get up Fuu!" A single pair of dull orange eyes snapped open as the sound of a fist banging against a metal door rang through the small room. Fuu snorted at the word even as she thought it; it wasn't a room, it was a prison cell; from the drab white walls to the metal door complete with sliding observation port the room screamed captivity. The girl had already been awake an hour before the call had come, as she always was, as it always had been for the past twelve years of her life.

Slowly she lifted herself up off the barren metal floor from where she had just finished her daily reps, managing to time it perfectly with her warden's wake-up call. Technically he was her 'caretaker' but Fuu knew what their relationship was, just as the man did; no matter how he hid behind that fake veneer of politeness she saw the hatred and disgust in his eyes just like everybody else in the village. She sighed; her life had become so monotonous she could almost count it down like clockwork.

'_Seven, six...' _She slid her mesh undershirt on over her developing torso, ignoring the slight sheen of sweat she had worked up. _'...five, four...' _Next came her white vest, cut off so that her mesh shirt poked out beneath it which in turn ended just above her belly button. _'...three, two...' _Finally she slipped her equally white arm warmers, one of which held her forehead protector, up onto her forearms.

'_...one.' _At that exact moment the metal door creaked open to reveal a tall broad man with large muscles and a shaved head standing in the opening. Fuu had known the man nearly all her life, all of it that she could remember anyway; things were slightly hazy before the Nanabi no Kabutomushi had been sealed inside of her. Absently she glanced down at a spot just above her left breast, right over her heart; if she channelled Chakra there a seal would show up, probably the most intricate one in the entire village.

"Come on." The man's voice was gruff, it always was, and even from where she was standing she could smell the traces of alcohol on his breath; he had no doubt been drinking the previous night. Sometimes Fuu loathed the inherent abilities her tenant gave her, not that she didn't have enough things to hate about the powerful creature inside of her. An incredibly heightened sense of smell and taste were just one and even though she had practically grown up with them, having her whole life to adjust, she still couldn't quite feel right being able to know so much about somebody from the way they smelt.

For instance her 'caretaker', Kanshu, had a woman in his bed last night; he still reeked of the perfume and lipstick she had worn, despite him having a shower if the scent of cheap bodywash was anything to go by. Fuu could even tell what he had eaten this morning, a simple meal of some white rice, miso soup, and grilled fish. Wearily brushing her mint green hair away from her eyes she quietly followed the man out of the room, it had not taken her long to learn that speaking without being directly asked a question ended badly more often than not.

At a reasonable pace the two made their way through the earthen corridors of the compound Fuu had lived in for as long as she could remember. It wasn't very large, only a few rooms with essentials for living; in fact Fuu knew exactly how many steps it took to get from her bed to anywhere in the complex. She had to shield her eyes slightly as they walked outside, the sunlight making her wince after her time in the underground dwelling.

'_Thirty two steps, he walked slightly quicker today.' _Like the timid little girl she was supposed to be Fuu silently followed her guardian as they made their way through the village; only passing through back alleys and the less populated areas of course. They wouldn't want to offend the villagers by having the demon girl make an appearance anywhere in the public eye. Fuu couldn't help it as her eyes narrowed and her fists clenched, immediately stopping as she noticed Kanshu look back over his shoulder at her.

Finally they stopped at a location the girl was also intimately acquainted with, her 'personal' training ground. She snorted in her mind again, the only reason it was hers was because after using it once nobody else would dare come near it again. Everybody had this idiotic notion that they might 'fall under her demonic influence' or some nonsensical rubbish like that. Then again she couldn't be all that sure of their motives, it wasn't like she had talked to anybody besides her caretaker, a handful of Shinobi that she was forced to work with on missions, and the village leader Shibuki.

A rare sliver of hope had once entered Fuu's heart when the previous leader of Taki had passed away from consuming the Hero's Water. She had hoped with all her heart that Shibuki would be different because he was around her age, he might feel some sympathy or just feel something for her other than disdain. She was right, the boy didn't hate her like the majority of the village; unfortunately he was weak-willed, easily manipulated by his advisors and ultimately, nothing changed.

She walked out into the middle of the field, noticing the scratch marks in the ground that might have been ignored had she not known it was a vast sealing array. It was a part of a gift from Konoha to cement the alliance between the two nations, designed to restrain and neutralise Bijuu chakra with a single hand-sign. Its genius lay in the fact it was powered by the very energy it was restraining so once it had returned to tolerable levels the seal would naturally disengage; far too brilliant to have ever been thought up by the idiots in her village.

That earned yet another mental scoff, 'her village', it was like an inmate saying 'his prison'. This village was no more her home than the soil it lay on was; she only wore the headband because any possible signs of disloyalty would be severely stamped out, by repeated and painful punishment. She absently scratched at the collar around her neck, to all the world appearing as just a simple leather choker with an intricate tribal-like design running its circumference. Fuu knew better, with a single hand sign it would instantly send enough electricity through her body that, even while under the influence of her inner demon, would incapacitate her.

Depending on the amount of Chakra that Kanshu, Shibuki, the advisors or occasionally Shinobi she was on missions with chose to use it would either knock her out, give her a painful and humiliating shock or even kill her. Not even her regenerative powers would save her from the huge amounts of energy that would be emitted by the collar. It was her 'insurance', a cage without bars or even a key; as far as Fuu knew the collar would only ever come off when she died. Maybe not even then, so they could torment her corpse too.

Once her training was complete she was once again led through the now darkening village, cast into shadow by the sun descending behind the great tree in the centre of the village. For many it was a symbol of Takigakure's strength and resolve; to Fuu, as she descended into a passage right at its base, it was just another reminder of her imprisonment. The door to her cell closed behind her with a metallic clunk, a tray of food sliding in just before it closed, leaving her in silence again.

She sat on the bed, staring at the floor; she already knew there were thirty-six floor tiles; she had counted them hundreds of times. There were fourteen cracks on the roof, three small holes in the earthen walls, seven roots sticking out in random places and twenty-six scratched on her tough metal bed. This room was her home, it was her life, it was her prison. She listened to Kanshu's steps walking way before sighing quietly as she picked up her tray of food.

'_Thirty-two steps_**.' **She finished up her meal, just white rice that was slightly stale and a few raw slices of fish, only the best for the demon. She placed the tray back in its usual place before retiring to her bed, quickly stripping off her now sweaty and dirty clothes. She closed her eyes as she fruitlessly tried to find a comfortable position on the bed; when she opened again it would all begin anew.

* * *

**A/N: I have some thing's I'd like to clarify after some reviews (they were guests, otherwise I would be doing this by PM):  
Naruto's clone limit: It is due to his shared vision with the clones, too many and he will get a headache from all the information his brain is trying to process, right now his limit is five clones, any more would be too much and Naruto would only lose effectiveness.  
Leaving Midara alive: Yes Midara was alive but Naruto had permanently sealed his Chakra away, his body was basically earth held together with Chakra and Midara's will, without that he's basically just a blob of mud with a consciousness, imagine Hidan after Shikamaru 'killed' him; alive... but not in a pleasant way.  
Also nobody got where Maseru came from so I'll give you a hint, think what type of monkey he is and try to imagine his name if it was more western**

**-Digi-**


	14. Storm VI

**Well Digi doesn't own Naruto but I'll get it off Kishimoto when I show him my art; after all, art... is an EXPLOSION!**

* * *

**Sage**

_"Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it." – Confucius_

* * *

"Okay so what first? Food or supplies?" Naruto got his answer in the form of Shizuku's stomach rumbling rather loudly, even making a few people passing by turn their heads, much to the girl's embarrassment. Naruto just grinned as his eyes began searching for the nearest café or restaurant they could get something cheap; they really needed to get some more money soon. "Okay food it is." Shizuku just put her head down in even more embarrassment as her cheeks flushed a deeper shade of red.

The two were standing in a busy street in Taki, civilians and Shinobi alike wandering around for either leisure or business. They just had to sit through a rather arduous and boring talk with a village representative to make sure they had no ulterior motives for being in the village. After about three hours of moving between various departments in the village leader's tower they were finally released into the village itself. Naruto quickly rummaged around in his pouches until he produced a small handful of ryo, almost all the money they had left.

"You go grab us something to eat, we'll meet back in the square in a few minutes. I'll go see about getting some Chakra paper and maybe some odd jobs for money." Shizuku seemed nervous about splitting up while Naruto just gave her a calming smile as he patted her on the shoulder. "Don't worry, we're perfectly safe here, just try not to annoy anyone, okay?" Before Shizuku could round on him in irritation for the comment he ran off laughing, waving his hand in a somewhat placating manner. Shizuku just sighed as she also began to look around the street for some food; her eye naturally drifted to a nearby dango stand as a healthy gleam appeared in her eye.

Back with Naruto he was currently moving through a rather thick crowd which was surprising considering it was still fairly early in the morning. The sun was nowhere near its zenith in the sky and the various shadows were long and stretched. Luckily with the jingle of his shakujou most people respectfully moved out of the way for him; he sighed with a smile, just another benefit of being a monk.

He had to admit the village was rather beautiful with the enormous tree standing sentinel at the centre. A small river wound its way through the middle of the village, skirting around the tree before falling from an enormous cliff as possibly the largest waterfall Naruto had ever seen. Strangely he couldn't quite discern where exactly they were in the country despite the fact the location should have been fairly obvious. He shrugged it off as some kind of village defence, although it definitely intrigued him as it couldn't be a Genjutsu.

He ducked into a side alley, deciding he wasn't going to be able to find anything in such a crowded street, opting instead for the quieter, less populated areas. Of course, not being a native to the village, he quickly became lost with only the ever-present tree as a reference point. Sighing in mild frustration he just decided to ask the next person he saw for direction; unfortunately the street he was in seemed to be rather close to the edge of the village and was completely empty. Luckily as he turned a corner he nearly walked right into a large man with a muscled physique and shaved head.

"Hello, do you mind point me in the direction in which I could purchase some supplies? I was hoping to get some Chakra paper for my companion." The man looked down at him, craning his neck due to the considerable size difference as he cocked an eyebrow. People usually weren't on these streets during this time of the day so he was slightly surprised at the monk's presence. Gruffly he pointed in the general direction of the tree, somewhere around it's base.

"All Shinobi-related supplies are sold in the main trading area on the west side of the tree's base." Naruto inclined his head politely in thanks as the large man turned to go. As the blonde monk made to leave he noticed the young girl trailing after him, obviously not his child as the two shared no physical resemblance. She was around his age with a shock of mint green hair falling limply about her face, in rather stark contract to her caramel skin and pure white clothing. Just as they passed one another the girl raised her head slightly from where it was submissively bowed and Naruto was able to catch a glimpse of her startling orange eyes.

Just like that though the moment passed and the two moved past him, in the direction of the village's outskirts by the look of it. Naruto just blinked as his forehead furrowed slightly; there was something awfully familiar about the girl that he couldn't place. He couldn't see her Chakra, there appeared to be something suppressing it, preventing him from seeing anything. However when he turned back around to look again the two had already disappeared around the corner. With a sigh the blonde just ran a hand through his hair and started off in the direction he had been pointed in.

'_Orange, what a great colour for someone's eyes.' _He could only think that with a smile as he walked off, his mind strangely fixed on that curious girl.

* * *

When he and Shizuku finally met up again the girl was rather happily demolishing a small take-away box of dango. The blonde just sighed as he walked up, his seals and pouches freshly filled with supplies. He had also found a few people looking for help around their shops that would net them enough money to move on to a new place after about a week or so; at least as long as Shizuku didn't drain them dry with her strange dango obsession.

"Really Shizuku?" The girl just grinned cheekily, uncaring that she had red bean paste on the corners of her mouth.

"Of course, dango's the best! Come on, you must have a favourite food right?" She said it with a rather flippant smirk but upon seeing Naruto suddenly tense and withdraw on himself slightly the girl became shocked. She had never seen Naruto like this, he was always either serene or just happy around her, in fact she had never seen a negative emotion from the blonde except the occasional frustration. Seeing his suddenly clam up like this was slightly strange but almost as soon as it happened the monk recovered, although a little of the shine in his eyes was missing.

"Uhh yeah, sure." He waved her off as he sat down, grabbing a stick for himself out of the box. "I guess dango's fine if you promise not to overdo it okay?" He looked up at her with a faux-concerned tone which Shizuku just smiled at with a small imperceptible sigh of relief.

"No promises." Naruto chuckled as he finished off his stick, quickly reaching into one of his pouches and withdrawing a few slips of plain, square paper no larger than his palm.

"I got the Chakra paper, once we find a training ground to use we'll get you tested okay?" Shizuku frowned with a pout as she reached for a slip of the paper, only for Naruto to pull his hand away.

"Aww, why can't we just do it now? I'm really curious." Naruto chuckled again as he replaced the paper in his pouch, sealing it tightly so they wouldn't fall out.

"Yeah, I am too to be honest but it's suspicious for non-Shinobi to be seen using Chakra, especially for things like elemental manipulation and even more especially in the middle of a Shinobi village where aren't even residents. We don't know if they have sensors or other means of detecting use of Chakra so we should be careful unless we're in a training field okay?" Shizuku maintained her rather cute pout but nodded after seeing Naruto wasn't going to relent on this any time soon.

"Fine." She looked up suddenly with a curious expression, finishing off the last of her dango with one clean swipe along the skewer.

"Did you find us a place to stay?" Naruto gave an absent nod as he swallowed another dumpling, allowing his eyes to drift around the small square they were sitting in. There were a few people milling about, enjoying their breakfasts outdoors and even a few couples just lounging around.

"Yeah, there were a few temples I passed and one of the masters used to be a monk at the Fire Temple. He'll let us stay in one of the dojos for a few days until we move on." Shizuku nodded with a happy smile, she had wondered what it might be like to stay in a temple, even if it was only for a few nights. Suddenly a thought snuck up on her as she looked down at the clothes she was wearing.

"Will I have to get robes like you?" Naruto finally looked around at her, amusement twinkling in his steely eyes before turning back with a small chuckle.

"No no, I think you'll be fine." Shizuku didn't like the rather mischievous grin the blonde now sported.

* * *

Fuu sat at the centre of her training ground alone, Kanshu never stayed for very long when she trained. She assumed it was because like everybody else in the village he despised being around her when she tapped into her Bijuu's chakra. A part of her couldn't blame him, she had been using it for almost seven years now and still wasn't used to the sheer oppressive feel of the dense red chakra. However a much louder part of her was disgusted at the man for his cowardice; she sighed wearily as she continued to channel her chakra, running through hand seals at a rapid pace.

It wasn't like she could leave the training ground anyway; if she stepped out of the seal before Kanshu deactivated it she would immediately be shocked. He had once gotten drunk and forgotten about her, leaving her alone overnight with nothing but her fairly thin clothes. It hadn't helped that it was nearly the middle of the winter; she was sure if it wasn't for the Nanabi's chakra she would have died that night from either the cold or the sickness that might follow if she wasn't immune to any and all illnesses. And of course when Kanshu did return to deactivate it he failed to offered even so much as a grunt of an apology, looking instead like she had to apologize to him for surviving the ordeal he put her through.

Right now she was safely channelling three tails of her Bijuu's chakra which manifested as a pair of insectoid wings and a long spindly tail that grew from her lower back out of pure chakra. She had once tried to fly with them but that ended with her waking up a day later in Chakra-suppressing manacles in her cell. It seemed the seal on her training ground was fairly sensitive to anything it might consider as her 'leaving'. Right now this was her safe limit, at four tails she began to become more aggressive and less capable of rational decision and at five tails she lost it altogether.

It turned out she was a rather unique case among Jinchuuriki due to the nature of her tenant. With each alternating tail she increased to, she would either gain another set of wings or the tail and never both, otherwise she might have an odd number of wings which wouldn't work. It was almost poetic in a way, the fact that she had wings and longed more than anything to be free from this hell yet no way to use them at all. She had often wondered if the collar had a limited range and that was why the village was so adamant about her not being able to fly but in the end that was a useless train of thought.

"Rinpungakure no Jutsu!" She finished her hand seals as she exhaled a large cloud of bright glittering dust that caught the light in ways some would have found beautiful. She switched her hands to the tiger seal and almost immediately the entire cloud combusted, scorching the already dead ground beneath it. The girl sighed as she looked at the result of her Jutsu, with just three tails almost half the entire training ground was enveloped in the Jutsu's area of effect, and she hadn't even put all the Chakra she could into it. She allowed her Chakra cloak to drop, putting a hand to her forehead to stave off the headache that always came with it.

"-old you don't worry about it, it's nothing." The mint-haired girl blinked as new voices suddenly approached the training ground, her ears twitching to pick up the conversation. It wasn't Kanshu, that was for certain and nobody else ever came near this training ground. She thought it might be some uninformed Genin but she got her answer when she turned.

"If it's nothing then why won't you... oh." It was a boy and girl around her age, maybe a little younger. The blonde appeared to be dressed as a monk, complete with shakujou and the general air of peace men of that lifestyle held. His eyes were narrowed but not in a suspicious way, she still couldn't see his eyes though which instantly gave him somewhat of a mysterious feel. Suddenly she recognised him as the boy she had passed earlier that morning on the way to the training ground.

The girl was shorter, dressed in a miko outfit despite not holding much of the regal grace and poise women of that profession naturally acquired. She seemed more like a girl playing dress-up, which rather amused Fuu, something that hadn't happened in a while; usually it was either contempt or just plain irritation, rarely genuine amusement. She had flowing purple hair that actually made the verdette a little jealous; her hair was always cut short so it would never impede her vision. Obviously a weapon did not need to look good, only be efficient. The boy finally seemed to notice the training ground he had entered was not empty and gave a small wave to Fuu, surprising her.

"Oh hello, I didn't realise this training ground was occupied." Fuu was a little shocked when she found herself sighing internally; she hadn't even realised she could still care enough to do that. Even so, she knew what came next, realisation she was the demon, a few snide or thinly veiled insults and then they would leave her. "I hope you don't mind, this is one of the only training grounds with a waterfall." And with that the blonde just walked further in, the girl following him quickly like a puppy.

Fuu actually blinked in visible surprise, she had not expected that; she gulped a little as she realised somebody had actually spoken with her. No threats, no insults, no hidden loathing or even open hatred; he had just spoken with her.

"N-No, it's fine." Her voice was rather meek, she hadn't used it in a while and her throat was a little dry from the Jutsu she had been practising. She watched with a little anxiety as the boy walked over to the waterfall at the back of the training ground, up against a large cliff face that bordered on side of the village. This was one of the furthest training grounds from the village-proper; it was Fuu's so that nobody would panic when she used her Bijuu's chakra, or have to accidentally run into her.

The boy made a small show of producing a few slips of Chakra paper, Fuu recognised it from when she went through a similar test. Her own affinities were water and wind, with the latter being the primary nature of her Chakra. She watched with just a hint of interest as the violette took the paper, seemingly taking a moment to concentrate as she pushed her Chakra through it. It could be easily said that everybody was rather startled as the paper suddenly burst into water. Fuu didn't have a great amount of experience but she knew that was not normal; even so the pair seemed to get over it quickly.

As she watched the duo continued to amaze her as the blonde stripped of his top layers, laying them neatly by the bank of the stream, and strode out until he was just in front of the raging water. As soon as he placed his hands under the falling stream it slowly began to split, around three-quarters of the reasonably sized water-feature getting cut. Fuu recognised it, having gone through the same process for her own elemental manipulation but that was only because she was a weapon, honed from a young age.

To see somebody so young that was obviously not a Shinobi go through advanced elemental manipulation training with such shocking ease was just unreal. The concept of true exhaustion was fairly foreign to the green-haired Jinchuuriki due to her unnaturally large Chakra reserves but she knew such exercises were by no means supposed to be easy. She immediately noted with a trained eye what was holding him back from completing the exercise and just couldn't help herself.

"He's only focusing on the Chakra he is expelling, forgetting to focus on the Chakra already outside of his body and keep that sharp." Despite her only mumbling it absently as if commenting on a piece of machinery and the fact that the boy was standing in a rather loud waterfall, he seemed to hear her. He turned, his narrowed eyes regarding her for a moment before a small smirk appeared over his face. As if he lived only for surprising her, the next time he plunged his hands into the water the waterfall split perfectly, all the way along.

Fuu's jaw was about to unhinge itself from her shock; not only had he heard her; he had corrected himself so easily after only hearing a rather vague piece of unintentional instruction. Seemingly satisfied with his completion of the exercise the boy waded back out of the water and began to walk over to her. She tensed slightly as he approached, knowing that if they started a fight she would have no choice, it wasn't like she could run. Either was she would be punished for fighting within the village or trying to escape her training ground.

"Thanks, I was stuck for a while with that." The caramel-skinned girl wasn't quite sure how to answer, just standing there with a rigid posture at the unfamiliar sensation of talking with somebody. As if sensing her unease the blonde smiled at her in a disarming manner before gently raising his arm out. "I'm Naruto by the way." Fuu just blinked as she stared down at his outstretched hand, regarding it cautiously as she subconsciously shifted her weight onto her back foot. The tiniest flicker of a frown ran across Naruto's brow before he covered it with that same serene smile.

"It's a handshake, you know, a sign of friendship?" He said it jokingly with a small chuckle at the end but somehow Fuu knew he was gauging her reaction. When she continued not to answer Naruto put his hand down before motioning over to where Fuu could see the other girl practising the first stage of water manipulation. "That's Shizuku, and the monkey is Marseru." It was only at that moment Fuu noticed a small Capuchin, somewhat common in the forests around the village, sitting next to the purple-haired girl, watching her perform the exercise.

She couldn't believe it had slipped past her notice; it was so covered in the girl's scent that she hadn't properly sensed its presence. She knew it was because she was so confused by what was going on that it had simply slipped her mind. If her handler could see her now she would probably be on the ground, writhing from the collar's shock for missing a potentially important piece of information like that.

"Fuu." It came out rather weak again so she coughed slightly and said it again, slightly more forcefully though. Naruto just smiled at her and extended his hand once more, this time Fuu tentatively placed her own out, broadening Naruto's grin as he went to grasp it. In reflex Fuu immediately grabbed his wrist, twisted her body and threw the boy over her shoulder. To her surprise though he landed on his feet gracefully, in a flash adjusting his posture into that of a Taijutsu stance she didn't recognise.

"Well I wasn't going to ask for a spar just yet but alright." Fuu just shifted onto her back foot again with some hesitancy; she had attacked the boy and he was still smiling at her. Even if he wasn't verbally abusing her for being a demon he should still feel some hostility towards her for that. In her confusion it took her a few moments to register what he had said, neither of them moving in the meantime.

"What's a spar?" Naruto blinked in surprise, giving Fuu the briefest flash of steely purple orbs behind his usually concealing eyelids. He dropped out of his stance, cocking his head ever so slightly to the side,

"You know, a friendly fight between friends." Fuu's brow furrowed in confusion again, it felt as though every moment she spent with this boy new, perplexing ideas were being thrown at her that she couldn't understand. She didn't know a lot about friendship, considering she had never had a friend before it was not surprising, but she understood enough to know friends weren't supposed to fight.

"Why would friends fight?" Naruto cocked an eyebrow at her, still not shifting from his more relaxed posture just as Fuu didn't move from her own defensive stance.

"Well it isn't really a fight, more like a mock-battle to test your skills without the threat of your opponent killing you." Fuu blinked warily, she had never experienced something like that, all the opponents she had ever faced in combat had been real and one hundred percent ready to deal her serious harm. It was kill-or-be-killed for her to get experience and so far she was still alive to think about it.

"So if we spar... we are friends?" Again the girl's brow furrowed in intense befuddlement which led to a slightly concerned look to flit across the blonde's features, not that Fuu recognised the emotion.

"Well I suppose you could look at it that way. Friends, rivals, comrades, sparring doesn't exactly necessitate friendship but it can be a sign of it." Fuu's intense look slightly relaxed at that but she still seemed defensive and confused like a cornered animal wondering why the predator had not gone in for the kill yet. Naruto was actually a little surprised she hadn't run off yet from the way she was acting.

"So you wish to become my friend?" Naruto smiled brightly at that as he shrugged casually, the motion catching the verdette off guard.

"Sure, if you want to." Immediately Fuu's features hardened into a scowl as her posture became far more aggressive, still not eliciting any meaningful response from the blonde. At this point Shizuku was looking over at the two with curiosity and a small hint of concern for her friend.

"Why?" Naruto cocked his head again, the very casual and unconcerned motion again confusing Fuu in an manner she didn't understand, so was naturally frustrated by.

"I didn't know I needed a reason to make friends with somebody." At this point Fuu was trembling in barely controlled rage, her tenants Chakra on the verge of breaking through.

"Stop this; whatever it is you are doing stop it! Is hating me not enough for you? Now you have to try and break my spirit as well?! I won't let you!" With that the lithe Taki Kunoichi shot forward, her arm outstretched with her palm flattened like a blade. In the minuscule time it took for her to cross the distance between them Naruto had already shifted into a defensive stance of the Mizu no Mai. As her bladed hand came in he latched onto her wrist, diverting her arm and allowing her forward momentum to carry her forward until her body was flush against his back.

Before she could react Naruto dropped down into a perfect split, never letting go of the girl's wrist. Fuu was already destabilised from the unexpected move so when Naruto slightly jerked on her hand she rolled forward with almost no resistance. The whole movement flowed seamlessly together like a flowing steam and fairly soon Fuu found herself on her back against the slightly damp earth. With the grace and agility only intense and earnest training could provide she rolled back to her feet, noting that Naruto had made no move to capitalise on her being grounded.

She shot forward quickly, although this time it was a feint; at the last moment as she saw Naruto's hand come up to grab her wrist she instead grabbed his, pulling hard and bringing her knee up at the same time. In an impressive display of flexibility and control Naruto instead pushed off as he felt his balance shift, launching himself up and over the girl with a burst of Chakra-enhanced movement. During the girl's confusion he switched their grip before landing with both feet solidly planted on the ground, using Chakra to stick there and pulling the girl up and over his shoulder in one swift move.

Once again Fuu found herself rolled onto her back, confused by the lack of pain she felt from what could have been a severely debilitating attack. However this time when she got up it wasn't as fast and she suddenly felt rather woozy like they had been fighting for much longer than two minutes. Shaking her head to clear the cobwebs as best she could she watched the blonde with caution while he just maintained that same unconcerned smile.

"You have a lot of Chakra." Ignoring his words as needless banter, despite feeling confusion as to how he knew that, Fuu launched herself forward, using Chakra to enhance the movement this time. Once again at the last moment though Naruto sidestepped, lashing out his hand to suddenly appear behind her, holding both wrists solidly. Fuu tried to struggle but the longer he held her the weaker she felt and the less she could concentrate. Finally when she felt her legs weaken to the point she was only just about standing Naruto released her, making her stumble forward on uncertain feet.

"See? Now that was a good spar." Fuu just breathed heavily as she turned to the blonde.

"Why?" She panted for breath before straightening up. "Why are you doing this?" Naruto sighed wearily as he ran a hand through his hair, the serene smile vanishing for a moment as it was replaced by a slightly weaker, but more genuine one.

"I don't know what kind of conceptions you have about me but I don't mean you any kind of harm Fuu." The mint haired girl looked down, her hair shadowing her dull orange eyes as she stared at the barren ground at their feet. Naruto began to feel the hairs on the back of his neck rise as virulent red chakra began leaking out of Fuu's pores, quickly forming a cloak with a single long thread-like tail flowing behind her. Her head was enshrouded in what looked like a visor as four small arm-like protrusions emerged from the abdomen area of the cloak.

"**I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!" **The girl rushed forward again, this time at incredibly speeds that Naruto's eyes could just about follow but his body would only be able to react at the very last moment if he continued to only use Taijutsu. He flashed an arm up to prepare a Shinra Tensei but he never needed to. As Fuu approached him she suddenly froze, her forward momentum carrying her forward into the ground to create a long but shallow trench with her body.

The cloak began to recede and when it was finally gone Naruto could see the verdette was writhing on the ground, in obvious agonising pain as her hands scrabbled at the simple black choker around her neck. Naruto had noticed the small amount of Chakra in the accessory but had thought nothing of it, after all his staff, pouches and even earring all had small amounts of Chakra in them. Looking around he quickly found the cause in that same large shaven-headed man from before, holding his hands in the rat hand seal.

"What are you doing!?" The man looked up at the monk, genuine surprise in his eyes at the question, but more so at the concern in Naruto's voice. Fuu might have been surprised or confused as well but right now her world was the blinding pain coming from the collar.

"I am disciplining a Kunoichi of the village." Naruto's eyes widened in horror slightly, not enough to reveal his Rinnegan though.

"You do this to _all_ your Shinobi?" The man stared suspiciously at the monk, beginning to wonder why he was at the training ground at all, nobody but him and Fuu came here.

"That is none of your concern Monk-san. Please leave me to deal with the Shinobi under my authority." Naruto just looked desperately between the man and the still obviously agonised girl on the ground.

"Please stop this, she did nothing wrong." The man again narrowed his eyes at the boy before finally releasing the seal; Fuu was left twitching on the ground, her eyes wide and unfocused as she gasped in large breaths of air.

"Explain what happened here." Naruto nodded once quickly, casting a furtive look at Fuu who had just about stopped twitching.

"My friend and I were simply wandering the village and saw her training here; I offered to spar with her, that's all." The man cast a look between the blonde and Fuu who was now beginning to pick herself up. Naruto noted that her posture had become submissive and withdrawn, her eyes looking glassy like they better belonged on a dead person.

"Well I recommend in the future you avoid engaging in spars with our Shinobi Monk-san. Especially this one." He cast a dirty look at the now partially recovered girl who had moved over to his side without a word. "Come on Fuu, we're going back to your home." Fuu didn't even blink or acknowledge the statement in the slightest, she just followed with small measured steps as the burly man went to walk away, leaving Naruto and Shizuku very confused and worried for the mint-haired girl. Shizuku walked over, her eyes following the pair as they left until they were out of sight completely.

"Why was he doing that to that poor girl?" She didn't get a response immediately so she turned to look at Naruto. Like her his eyes were following the girl and her large guardian although he was following their Chakra signatures until those too vanished. His hair fell about his forehead, shadowing his eyes as his knuckles clenched in their grip on his shakujou.

"I don't know." He looked up, his eyes open and burning with the Chakra running through them, making them glow in a way Shizuku might find ominous if she didn't know the blonde. "But I intend to find out."

* * *

**A/N: Hey somebody got it so you can stop guessing now (Or do, it raises my review count so I'm good with that :) Marseru is based on Marcel from Friends. So props to SeiroXM for getting that first.**


	15. Storm VII

**Eh, what the fuck am I doing here, this ain't my fic... oh whatever, the shithead doesn't own that other Shithead, the blonde fucker... that one. **

* * *

**Sage**

___"In the practice of tolerance, one's enemy is the best teacher." – Dalai Lama _

* * *

"Still thinking about that girl?" Naruto and Shizuku were currently sitting in the small dojo that had been provided for them by the master of the small temple. It was small and sparse but the floor was at least covered in Tatami mats so it was comfortable. The man himself was kindly; although Shizuku had to put up with the fact the man was a complete pervert, and not all that ashamed to admit it. She now knew why the man would have no trouble with what she was wearing. Even in her rather short time with Naruto she had continued to develop, filling out her clothing a bit more.

"I don't know how I can't; did you see what that man was doing to her?" Shizuku just nodded silently as she rubbed at her neck thoughtlessly, just the image of that poor girl with her body clenched in agony would stay with her for a while. What might have been even worse was that when she was finally released her face almost immediately dulled, becoming submissive and lifeless; it had obviously been done to her before.

"But it's not like there's anything we can do right? Like the man said he was punishing a Shinobi of their village, if we went against that they would kick us out, or worse." Naruto didn't acknowledge the statement but his eyes narrowed more than usual. Ever since they had come back from the training ground the boy hadn't cracked a single smile, it was incredibly unnerving to see the usually calm and kindly blonde appear so...

She wasn't sure, angry wasn't quite right, she just couldn't imagine Naruto ever feeling angry and he didn't look it; at least in her experience of the emotion. Cold might be better, his eyes were steeled and even though he would look around occasionally Shizuku could see he was deep in thought, no doubt going over what exactly he could do to help the girl. Sometimes she was almost sad that Naruto had such a kind heart, he would never knowingly allow somebody to be in such pain; she could tell it almost physically pained him not being able to help.

"But why would they do that to one of their Kunoichi, surely it can't be good for them?" Naruto fisted his hands as his head dipped a little lower; she was sure if his Shakujou wasn't safely over by the wall he would be threatening to crack the wooden staff.

"It wasn't that; she was a Jinchuuriki." The violette just looked up in shock, the cloak of oppressive and powerful Chakra around the girl suddenly making far more sense.

"Like you?" Naruto just nodded grimly; he hadn't known though until he saw the cloak itself. Before that the Bijuu Chakra within her had been heavily suppressed; maybe if he had the Byakugan he might have seen it.

"There were faint traces of Chakra all around the ground in that area, no doubt a seal to stop her leaving." Slowly the dots were starting to connect, like why the girl seemed so desperate to run away but never did. "He wasn't punishing her because she had misbehaved; he were punishing her because he could." Naruto knew he look of twisted satisfaction the man had in his eyes as he mercilessly tortured the girl; it was the same as the man who had taken his most precious people from him. Shizuku just looked horrified, her head falling to stare at the floor as she struggled with the concept.

"But why?" Naruto sighed as he finally looked up, his col hardened eyes softening for a moment with sadness and melancholy that looked far too old for a boy his age.

"Because people make no effort to understand that we are not the creatures sealed inside of us. It was the same with Gaara." Shizuku nodded, she had been told of the redhead's treatment in Suna. The only reason the former Ichibi container wasn't in the same situation as Fuu was probably due to Suna lacking the necessary seals to do it. "However I think it is even worse with Fuu." Shizuku just looked at him helplessly; she wasn't a ninja, or even a monk; she had only just begun using Chakra and didn't know what to do.

"So what do we do?" For the first time that night the smallest of smiles crept up on Naruto's as he gazed out of window at the silhouette of the great tree.

"We give a lonely girl some friends."

* * *

"Hi Fuu." The aforementioned mint-haired girl spun on the spot at the new but familiar voice, instantly dropping into her defensive stance. She relaxed when she saw it was Naruto and Shizuku, but only slightly; her face betrayed no emotion. She had decided to just stop being confused by everything Naruto did, otherwise she feared she would just end up with a lot of headaches. The duo plus monkey made their way over to her, both humans having a smile on their faces, their steps easy and relaxed.

"Why did you come back?" Naruto just cocked his head to the side in amusement as he walked past, turning his head to continue talking.

"What do you mean? This is still one of the only training grounds with a waterfall." As if to accentuate that point he once again began to strip off his top layers and made for the waterfall. Likewise his female companion moved a little farther downstream and continued with her own elemental training. Fuu absently noticed that she had succeeded in making a pillar of water up to her waist and appeared to be trying it with two hands, unorthodox but Fuu could only guess it would refine her control further.

The verdette just stood there a while, unsure of what to do as she watched the two train. She wasn't sure whether she should train as normal; sure they were a monk and a civilian but it still might risk them learning her strengths or weaknesses. However it was not like she could just leave the training ground, the seals on the floor and around her neck saw to that. Also if Kanshu came back and saw she had not been training to her fullest she would be punished anyway. In the end she began to run through her Taijutsu kata, feeling that was the safest thing to train at the moment.

As she did so she couldn't help but think back to her 'spar' with the blonde the previous day. Remembering the various ways he countered her with his fluid and seemingly effortless movements was incredible to watch, purely from a professional standpoint. As she considered it she had to admit that her own style was far too rigid to counteract it. It had never really been an issue before as it was mostly used when she was in her Chakra cloak and that had never failed her yet. She had to admit that these 'spars' were indeed good for pointing out a possible flaw in her style.

Again she found her eyes drifting over to where she saw Naruto knee deep in the stream, still perfectly holding back the waterfall with his wind Chakra. It appeared he had really taken her instruction to heart and was now working in lengthening the time he could maintain a steady stream of Chakra. Finally after an hour of excruciating silence between the two parties, only dampened by the ever-present roar of the waterfall, Fuu finally walked over to them, however cautiously. While Shizuku still seemed engrossed in her exercise Naruto immediately spotted her, as if he had just been waiting for her to make a move.

"Hey there." He waded out of the stream and Fuu took a moment to watch a single drop of water roll lazily down his well toned body, blinking when she caught her gaze drifting for no apparent reason, at least to her.

"Would you..." She gulped before shaking her head and straightening her posture; she refused to act intimidated or even slightly weak around these two; although the feeling only seemed to manifest around the blonde. "Would you spar with me again?" Naruto's face lit up in a gleaming smile as he ran a hand through his hair to get rid of some of the water that had settled there. Again Fuu found her eyes unintentionally mesmerised by the way his muscles flexed during the action; she had seen plenty of trained Shinobi with similar bodies so she knew how difficult it was to achieve.

"Of course, Taijutsu or more broad?" The girl blinked, unaware that monks knew anything beyond Taijutsu having never had to fight one before. Considering fighting was her only real interaction with other human beings outside of the village it was somewhat unsurprising.

"Taijutsu." She tried to keep her tone clipped and her voice without emotion as she had been trained but the longer she stood there looking at him the harder she found it. Naruto just nodded with that same smile as he grabbed his Shakujou, not bothering to re-clothe his torso at all. The two moved out into the centre of the field and settled into their individual stances; Fuu noted with some shock that his was different to the previous days, not to mention he now seemed like he was going to use the Shakujou for actual fighting.

"You are willing to take part in this despite Kanshu warning you against engaging me or any other Takigakure Shinobi?" Fuu didn't sound all that interested as she would much prefer to spar with the boy but she at least felt obligated to warn him. The blonde just chuckled as he once again ran a hand through his hair in a manner the verdette was quickly understand to be some kind of anxious tick.

"Eh, he said it was a recommendation, I've never been too good with those." All the while he kept that same serene smile and narrowed eyes, in sharp contrast to Fuu's emotionless features and alert and active eyes. With an unspoken signal the two reacted at the same time, Fuu rushing forward at high speed and Naruto using his staff to imitate a pole-vault. He launched himself in the air above Fuu, far higher than she had expected from the power he put into the move.

His body span like a corkscrew to give him momentum and in a millisecond his Shakujou came down on Fuu's shoulder, giving her a light tap that he used to push off and land gracefully back on the ground. Strangely he seemed to hover ever so slightly before his feet touched down, lightening his landing significantly. Fuu just paused as she turned, staring at him with an analytical eye to try and figure out just what he had done. Naruto seemed to notice as he immediately came out of his ready stance to lean on his staff slightly.

"In a spar it's okay to ask questions, there's no real threat here." Fuu nodded hesitantly but never once left her ready stance, keeping her muscles tensed for action.

"Why did you not use a stronger hit when you could have?" Naruto passed his Shakujou from one had to the other absently.

"It's not the purpose of the style, Kaze no Mai; it's a purely evasion based Taijutsu style." Even as he spoke Fuu's mind clicked through various possibilities as recognition lit up behind her orange eyes.

"You used wind natured Chakra to increase the speed of your movements as well as lighten your body." Naruto just grinned at her figuring it out so quickly; it wasn't like that gave her a particular edge. Before coming up with the style Naruto made sure that it would be safe to use, even against fire-natured attacks. The wind Chakra that propelled him from his tenketsu was so small and dispersed so quickly that even a fire Jutsu would not ignite it. All it really did was give him a speed boost by decreasing air resistance and giving his movements thrust.

Fuu on the other hand was amazed, to so easily incorporate elemental Chakra into a Taijutsu style, even one not focused around dealing damage, was nothing short of incredible. It would take considerable, if not nearly impossible levels of Chakra control to achieve in any meaningful way. Considering that he was able to match her own speed when she had been trained to fight Jounin from a young age was proof he had succeeded.

"Why only evade? If used properly such a style in conjunction with a lengthy weapon could be devastating." Naruto just smiled calmly and leaned on the staff again.

"The Shakujou is not a weapon, it is a monk's tool and as such should never be used for violence; we train our bodies for that if the need ever arises." Fuu blinked, but not in confusion she had to remind herself, to limit oneself in such a way was just an alien concept to her.

"Then please use your other style." Naruto just gave a conceding nod as he planted the staff into the earth and settled into the opening stance of his one of his other Taijutsu styles, the one Fuu recognised.

"This is the Mizu no Mai." Fuu nodded, wondering briefly if the boy had managed to incorporate elemental manipulation into this style too. She dismissed it though, to show such skill with wind at such a young age was already incredible, with another element as well... inconceivable. The fight didn't last that much longer than the one the previous day had. Fuu knew some of what to expect but ultimately it left her in the same position, on the floor, feeling exhausted for no discernible reason.

"W-What did you do to me?" Naruto smiled from his position over her, once again clothed and leaning on his Shakujou.

"It's an ability I can use that works well with the style; I can control the flow of Chakra, even if it's not my own." He crouched down next to her before sitting cross-legged; Fuu could only pant and look up at him, too tired and drained to move. "I can move Chakra either into my body, or out of it and into something else." To demonstrate he lightly placed a hand on her uncovered shoulder; Fuu was too tired to move like she normally would on reflex. Suddenly though felt warmth spread from the contact, moving through her body and revitalising her fairly quickly.

"In this way I can absorb the Chakra of anything in connection with my own, from people to animals to plants and even..." he looked up at her, catching her gaze for the split second pause in his words "...seals." Fuu didn't respond immediately, she couldn't; her mind had nearly shut down at the prospect of what the blonde as suggesting.

"S-seals?" Naruto just nodded, acting like he hadn't noticed her slight slip and the new look that had entered her eye.

"Sure, every seal runs on Chakra in some form, from the most basic storage scrolls to the most advanced barriers. If you take the Chakra out they become completely useless; even if they have defences against the seal being destroyed or removed, those defences still run on Chakra." He allowed the smallest of smirks to flit across his mouth as he looked down at the ground. "Take the seal inscribed on the floor of this training ground." Fuu actually gasped at that, quietly but still noticeably but Naruto made no indication he noticed.

"Preta path." He placed a hand palm down on the ground and quickly drew all of the Chakra out of the enormous sealing array on the ground. It was surprisingly easy considering it seemed to be powered by a more potent form of Chakra that when it was in its dormant state. Naruto just stood up as Fuu quickly followed, too mesmerised by this dream-like situation to do anything else. He walked right over to the entrance of the training ground, ducking a head out to see if anybody was there.

"Try it." Fuu had cautiously followed him and was now staring at exactly where she knew the boundary of the seal was, the slight scratch marks in the ground acting as an indicator. She stood there for she didn't even know how long, just staring at that now apparently useless mark on the ground. Her foot would keep twitching forward only to jerk back on instinct. Her body almost refused to believe it was true, the memories of all those agonising electrocutions very much fresh and raw in her mind.

Seeing that she wasn't going to move any time soon Naruto sighed before muttering out a silent apology and lightly pushing the girl on the back with his Shakujou. The girl immediately gasped out loud in shock as she overbalanced, naturally putting a foot out in front to catch herself. However when she experienced no blinding pain she cracked an eyes open. There she was, standing just outside of the seals' boundary but the collar had not been activated. On reflex she jumped backwards, panting heavily in shock and surprise before tentatively placing her foot back over the now non-existent boundary.

"And there you go." She turned back to Naruto, her orange eyes wide and disbelieving as they flickered between him and the ground she was standing on. Suddenly though tears appeared in the corners of her eyes and she collapsed to her knees, breathing heavily as she sobbed. Faced with a crying girl Naruto immediately dropped to his knees, his hands fidgeting as he was indecisive about what to do. After a few moments of the green-haired girl just crying she finally looked up, cheeks stained with tears and her eyes slightly bloodshot.

"Why? Why are you doing this for me? Don't you know what I am?" Naruto breathed a sigh of relief he hadn't hurt the girl somehow as a genuine smile appeared on his face.

"What's that, I see a young girl who's been dealt a hard hand in life." He sighed wistfully as he leaned in a little closer, whispering almost conspiratorially. "Anyway, we Jinchuuriki have to stick together." At that the girl's head shot up so quickly she almost head-butted the blonde by mistake, luckily she didn't.

"Wait you're..." She trailed off as Naruto just nodded with a content smile. Fuu just stared at him for a single second, a tense silence enveloping the clearing as she tried to stare into his covered eyes. "H-How did you escape?" Naruto just smiled as he rose to his feet, offering his hand to the girl which she took almost immediately without hesitation. Shizuku looked over in their direction for a moment but seeing Naruto was in no danger she returned to her exercise.

"It's a long story really." And it was, by the time Naruto had finished explaining to Fuu about his escape from the village, a brief summary of his time in the Temple, his travels to Suna and onwards and finally here. Fuu just listened in somewhat awed silence to the tale, the two of them sitting on a boulder a short distance off from the Waterfall. Fuu felt like just running off into the village but knew it would accomplish nothing, all it took was one hand seal and she would be a writhing mess on the ground.

"...then we got caught by some Taki Kunoichi who let us into the village." He stopped, looking at the mint-haired girl who just seemed to be processing what he said quietly.

"So I'm not alone, there are others like me like this... Gaara?" At Naruto's quick nod she resumed staring at the ground, her eyes just naturally following the now defunct lines of the inactive seal. "And you?" Naruto nodded, even though he knew his life was nowhere near as terrible as Fuu's was, or even Gaara's, it certainly had the potential to be if he had never escaped.

"You're not a monster Fuu, nor the weapon this village has you convinced you are; you are a human being, no less invaluable than any other life in this world." He looked down for a moment, allowing his gaze to drift around the large clearing, staring slightly longer at Shizuku and her concentrated but happy look as she trained. "What would you do with freedom Fuu?" The amber-eyed girl just looked at him incredulously as her hand naturally scratched at the collar around her neck.

"I would... I..." The girl just blinked as her brow furrowed, she couldn't believe she was drawing a blank. Before all this, before meeting Naruto or even knowing that there were others out there like her she had little else to think about. She had never realised that in her entire life she had never made a single decision for herself. She was a tool, a weapon, designed to follow orders to the letter and without question under the penalty of severe punishment. Now she was presented with possibly the most important decision in her short life and she was speechless.

"I-I, I would..." Her frown turned into a dark snarl as her hands clenched into fists; every beating, every snide comment or hateful remark, every electrocution or 'disciplinary action' she had ever faced flashed through her mind. "I...I would make them pay, for everything they did to me." Her voice was cold and her hair shadowed her eyes giving her a very sinister look. Naruto just sighed to the side of her as he placed a warm hand on her shoulder, startling the girl out of her episode. She was unused to human contact besides fighting or beatings, she flinched away from it on reflex.

"Fuu, that's not the way to go, doing that would only make you the monster they see you as, don't ever give them the satisfaction." Fuu just looked at her in shock; the very person who she thought could understand her pain better than anybody else was rebuking her. She jumped off the boulder, backing away from Naruto as she looked at him with anger, her hands still clenched in fists.

"They wouldn't have the satisfaction if they were dead!" Naruto sighed again as he too pulled himself off the rock, Shakujou in hand as he looked at the floor wearily.

"People don't deserve to die for their ignorance Fuu, if they did there wouldn't be many of us left and if it came to that I would be the first person to stand in your way." The mint-haired girl's anger suddenly drained away, her hopes had been raised for the first time in years and swiftly dashed to the side like they were worthless.

"Why, why would you do that? You should understand me, support me!" Naruto walked over but Fuu fell back, crawling away from him on her hands.

"I will never support bloodshed like that Fuu, the way to find peace and happiness will never be over the dead bodies of others. Hatred and violence only begets more hatred and violence." Some of Fuu's anger began to return as she got to her feet, feeling the subtle influence of her Bijuu's Chakra just beneath the surface.

"Then what? You expect me to forgive them? To pretend like they didn't make my life a living hell for something I had no control over!?" Naruto just gazed at her sadly, dropping his Shakujou to the side and raising his hands in a placating manner.

"No Fuu, I would never ask you to do that." The girl at this point was seething, a thin veil of almost gaseous Chakra leaking from her body.

"THEN WHAT!?" Naruto let his head dip slightly as he let out a long exhale, already seeping his Chakra infused sand into the ground beneath the girl in case she lost control.

"Just leave, leave and never look back, go out into the world and find your own happiness, but not at the expense of others." Fuu made to shout again but the words caught in her mouth, tears beginning to form again but immediately evaporating as they met the haze of Chakra surrounding her. Finally after a few tense moments the girl collapsed to her knees, the cloak never forming as it dispersed harmlessly.

"I promise." Her voice was meek and submissive, her head falling forwards so her hair covered her eyes. "Please..." She looked up, tears now feely streaming down her caramel cheeks and dripping from her chin. A long time ago Fuu had promised herself she would never cry, she would never allow the world to see her pain. She couldn't hold it in any longer though; it all came crashing out as she looked up into the blonde's whiskered face. "...just free me from this nightmare." Naruto sighed heavily but his eyes had softened now as he walked over.

It barely took a second, Naruto pulled the girl in for a moment, wrapping his arms around her lithe body. It just took a finger against the collar to draw the Chakra out and let it fall harmlessly to the ground. A few of Fuu's tears dripped on it as they both looked down at the seemingly innocent strip of leather, the previously deadly seals now nothing but harmless ink. Fuu wasn't sure how long she just stared at it, the very symbol of her imprisonment within the village, the cause of her ever-lasting misery, or so she had thought.

Finally she stood up on trembling legs, absently rubbing the now uncovered skin around her neck, noting how raw it felt. She looked up at the sky, to Naruto and then in the direction of the village; for a moment Naruto worried that the girl might renege on her promise. However in a flash of light her Chakra cloak instantly appeared, two wings sprouting from her lower back out of the virulent red Chakra which seemed even more potent without the suppressive collar.

Without another word the wings began to beat incredibly fast, lifting the Kunoichi up into the air. She almost tensed up, expecting the electric shock that never came; when she felt no pain she began to laugh nervously before it turned into full scale hysteric, tears once again freely flowing, except this time out of pure, unrestrained joy. With a single look back at the blonde below her as well as a sweeping glance at the Village where she could already see Shinobi mobilising to intercept her she shot off, faster than most could see; nothing more than a red blur fading into the distant sky.

Naruto watched her go with a fond smile before quickly turning to Shizuku ad waving. Getting the message the girl grabbed her gear and quickly took off after Naruto as the two fled the training ground before Shinobi could turn up. It was luck the rest of Taki avoided the training ground like the plague or they might have gotten there in time to intercept them. As it was Naruto and Shizuku managed to get into the village while suppressing their Chakra levels to the best of their abilities. For Naruto that meant nearly undetectable and for Shizuku that was to just above an average civilian.

"Do you think you did the right thing by letting her go like that? What if she hurts somebody?" Naruto looked across at Shizuku as they made their way through the less populated but not empty streets around the edge of the village.

"I can't say, but at least I know she isn't being tortured anymore; I owe her that much as a fellow Jinchuuriki." Shizuku seemed less sure but she nodded anyway; there was little she could do at this point anyway.

"Then what about the village? Won't there be some kind of repercussions with their weapon gone?" She didn't like saying it that way but Naruto knew what she meant; losing a Jinchuuriki was a large blow to a village. They weren't exactly replaceable, at least easily anyway, and few weapons were as powerful as the controlled Chakra of a Bijuu. Naruto just looked down with sadness as they continued to walk, skirting around people in the streets.

"My master told me once that the Bijuu were given out to each of the Shinobi capitals by Hashirama Senju as a show of not only good faith and alliance but as a form of deterrent for war. The Bijuu could devastate the lands to a degree it is daunting to even think about battling one. However as history shows this failed, there have been three Shinobi wars since that time." He turned to Shizuku, a strange determination and fire behind his eyes she only saw when he was immersed in his training or talking about the temple and the people precious to him.

"What if none of the villages had Jinchuuriki? A scale is still balanced when there is nothing on it." He looked down again, watching his feet as he walked but still managing to avoid people in the street. "Anyway, nothing gave him the right just hand out living sentient beings like they were just prizes, fully knowing they would be enslaved and trapped inside hosts." Shizuku just looked at him in shock, what he was talking about was almost tantamount to declaring war on the entire Shinobi world.

"I have power, and a responsibility to use that power for something great, I want to free the Bijuu and the Jinchuuriki they reside in from the hatred of the Shinobi world; even if I have to do it one at a time." Again Shizuku couldn't speak, there was a deep passion in Naruto's words for one so young and she found herself hanging off each one. The scariest thing was that with the way he spoke and how his Rinnegan would occasionally flare with light and Chakra, she believed he could do it. Shaking his head suddenly he turned to Shizuku with a smile.

"I once promised you that I would protect you, always be there for you so you would never have to cry again." He looked down sadly but still with the hint of a smile tweaking at the edges of his lips. "The path I've decided to walk down is going to be dangerous-" She suddenly cut him off by running forward and throwing her arms around him in a warm hug, despite the rain pouring down on them.

"You saved me and I will never forget that, don't ever think I would let you do something this crazy alone." Naruto froze for a moment before smiling back and accepting the hug.

"Thanks Shizuku-chan." The girl just giggled as she released him, Marseru watching the whole thing with a curious gaze.

"Now come on, you have six more to go by my count." Naruto just grinned as the two walked off into the village, intent on finding a way out before the Shinobi declared a lockdown and made it more difficult.


	16. Storm VIII

**My foolish little brother will never understand that Kishimoto owns Naruto, therefore naturally it is impossible for Digi to**

* * *

**Sage**

_"A short saying oft contains much wisdom" – Sophocles_

* * *

"So where are we now?" Shizuku looked over at her companion, noting that he seemed just as tired as she did. Once they had made their swift escape from Taki they had been pretty much running non-stop east towards the country's border. Naruto was just glad he had completed his wind training before they were forced to flee as they passed by more than a few waterfalls on their 'tactical retreat'.

"It's not far now. According to the map and that large valley we just passed through, Ta no Kuni should only be another mile or so." Shizuku just nodded between ragged breaths, slightly surprising herself at how she took the news. Before Naruto came into her life even a single mile might have sounded daunting but now she could use Chakra it wasn't all that far. Sometimes what she could now do still amazed the girl; everything was so different after you began using Chakra. Running was easier, weights were less heavy and you had more energy than ever, it was just indescribable.

"Alright, but promise we'll stop after we pass the border." All she got was a fairly non-committal nod from the blonde; she knew it was still dangerous to stop so soon but she was nearly exhausted. Naruto probably wouldn't admit it but even he was a little winded from the run, despite his large reserves and incredible stamina he was still fallible.

"Are they following?" Naruto quickly turned, not breaking his stride as he ran backwards for a few meters, allowing his Rinnegan eyes to scan the forest behind them. He quickly turned back before he could accidentally run into anything and subtly altered their course slightly.

"I don't see anybody but that doesn't mean they aren't following." Shizuku just nodded tiredly as she forced her legs to keep going, maintaining a steady flow of Chakra to her muscles as best she could. She wouldn't be surprised if they had pursuers; their escape from Taki had hardly been as 'subtle' as either of them could have hoped for.

* * *

"_Come on, we need to get to the tunnels as quickly as possible." Shizuku nodded determinedly as the two set off at a reasonably quick but not suspiciously fast pace through the winding streets. They mostly stuck to the quieter back alleys to avoid running into any prying eyes, unfortunately that didn't work for long._

"_Oi, you two!" Naruto froze, an irritated expression quickly suppressed behind a serene and innocent smile. He turned only to see the same large shaven-headed who had accompanied Fuu, as well as the one who had administered her 'punishments'. Even seeing him made Naruto's had clench slightly before he realised what he was doing and forced himself to relax._

"_Can we help you Shinobi-san?" The man only levelled a suspicious gaze on the two, particularly Naruto who he narrowed his eyes at dangerously._

"_I need to take you two in for questioning regarding one of our... Shinobi who have gone missing" The man seemed to struggle with the word 'Shinobi' which didn't do much to settle Naruto's growing temper. He hadn't been the only one to share their story, Fuu had told him enough about her treatment that he had begun to seriously reconsider his beliefs in the one instance._

"_And how would we be of any help?" The man just grunted as he made a move to grab Naruto's wrist, the monk quickly leaning back to avoid him._

"_That doesn't matter, you are in our village, you have to follow our rules. If we demand you come in for questioning you either do or I question you right now." Naruto smile widened although it was incredibly strained; luckily he had been hiding behind masks of happiness almost his entire life so the burly Shinobi noticed nothing._

"_I'm afraid that would be incredibly inconvenient right now Shinobi-san." Like the man before Naruto was beginning to have difficulty saying the honorific with any kind of sincerity. "You see my friend and I were running an urgent errand, would it be possible for us to re-schedule?" The man finally seemed to lose his patience as in one swift move he grabbed Shizuku by the wrist._

"_No, now are you going to come with me or are you going to make this difficult?" As if to emphasise his point he had withdrawn a kunai and was now holding it far too close to Shizuku's side for Naruto's comfort._

"_Please let my friend go Shinobi-san, I assure you this will not end well otherwise." All the mirth and warmth in Naruto's voice had disappeared, although his smile eerily remained on his face giving him a rather sinister air the Taki-nin seemed blissfully unaware of._

"_Is that some kind of threat boy?" Three things suddenly all happened at once; Shizuku elbowed the man in the gut in a moment of hesitation, Naruto subtly pulled the Kunai out of his hands with a silent Banshou Ten'in as he stepped forward, swinging his staff low to take the man's feet out from under him. The end result was the larger man on his back against the wet ground as Naruto stood over him, cast into darkness by the sun behind him._

"_No, it was not." With that the boy's hand suddenly lashed out too fast for the much larger and slower Shinobi to react. Before he knew it something was tightly secured around his neck as the blonde stepped back. "I would suggest you avoid trying to use Chakra; it won't be pleasant if you do." And with that the boy swiftly turned on a heel, cloak billowing around him, and strode off, Shizuku not far behind._

_The man got to his feet in anger, noting he didn't actually have any injuries as he quickly began forming hand signs to blast the kid in the back with a Jutsu. Naruto just sighed as he walked, his face suddenly appearing much older than it should. As he turned the corner he ignored the sudden cries of the large man as a huge burst of electricity ran through his body from the sealed collar around his neck._

* * *

After that the two had less difficulty; it turned out during a lockdown the tunnels were actually not that well guarded. Taki didn't have a large Shinobi force so during situations like these they were stretched rather thin. Naruto only had to subtly drain two standing guards of their Chakra, not even having to get close, instead just shifting the ground beneath them into Chakra-laced sand he could use his Preta path through. After that it was only a matter of remembering the way out through the labyrinthian tunnel system which proved no challenge.

Of course it was still a Shinobi village, no doubt the guards were found rather quickly, alerting the rest to the fact people had most likely escaped. Naruto didn't want to place his faith in the Taki Shinobi's belief that their tunnel system was infallible. So they had ran off as fast as they could east, helpfully in the direction of Kaminari no Kuni, but more immediately by Tani no Kuni's neighbour Ta no Kuni.

As they dashed through a large clearing at the base of a valley, mere blurs to civilian eyes, Naruto paused, Shizuku following his lead a moment later. She looked at him in confusion as he just stood there, wondering why they were wasting precious second that the ninja could catch up to them in. Naruto just smiled though as he turned slightly to the side; Shizuku followed his gaze and was a little shocked to see Fuu standing up in a tree, looking down at them uncertainly.

"It's good to see you so soon Fuu." The green-haired Kunoichi didn't respond, just dropping out of her tree and walking over to them slowly. "I expected you would be further away from here by now with those wings." The verdette seemed to struggle with something for a moment before sighing as she neared them.

"I had to get something first." For the first time Shizuku noticed Fuu now sported a very large red container on her back, held on by red straps crossing over her chest. The purple-haired girl suddenly became very self-conscious when she noticed the straps accentuated Fuu's developing bust. "Using _that c_hakra is too tiring for long flights, I had to land and I, uh..." she looked down, surprising both Naruto and Shizuku with her bashful appearance.

"I saw you running and..." Once again the girl seemed to overcome her momentary shyness, tapping into her emotional training. Not that she was ever grateful for anything done to her in Taki but she was at least able to acknowledge its use. She straightened up, her face losing the ever so slight blush that had formed. "I would like to travel with you." She looked away suddenly, the confidence boost only lasting momentarily; luckily she didn't revert to some stuttering mess and the blush seemed gone for good. "At least for a short time anyway; I don't know much about the world except for some information on other hidden villages."

The silence was nearly deafening as Naruto seemed to calmly take Fuu in with his gaze while Shizuku's nervously flit between them with a hint of curiosity. As the seconds ticked by Fuu's resolve slowly began to crumble as she started to think asking them was a bad idea. Of course they wouldn't want her travelling with them; she was no use, only a burden who knew less about surviving in the world than a child. Finally, at the moment she just planned on turning away, Naruto let out a grin as he inclined his head slightly.

"I would be happy for you to come with us of course." His smile brightened as a new sparkle of hope appeared in Fuu's orange eyes. "Right Shizuku?" At suddenly being included in the conversation the violette nearly eeped in surprise before vigorously nodding with her own bright smile.

"Yeah!" Naruto chuckled at that as he turned back to the now uncertain Fuu; she had been hopeful when she thought about asking them but a large part of her still believed there was no way they would allow her to go with them.

"But we might want to get a move on." Naruto looked back the way they came, spotting a few approaching Chakra signatures that were steadily growing stronger. "If you really want to come Fuu then you have to keep up!" With that Naruto offered a slightly cheeky grin before dashing off into the trees, shortly followed by Shizuku as she gave Fuu a friendly beckoning motion. Fuu just stood there, shell-shocked as she looked in the direction they had gone, before a tiny smile twitched at the edge of her lips for a brief second. She immediately sprinted off after them and not five seconds later a small group of Taki Shinobi landed in the clearing.

"Where did it go?" One of the members in particular looked down at the ground for a moment, analytical eyes studying the way the soil had been recently disturbed. He nodded once before silently motioning to the others as they once again too pursuit.

* * *

Shizuku was now panting rather heavily as they bounded through tree branches. They had crossed over the border forty minutes earlier but the pursuing ninja continued to follow them. Obviously they believed retrieval of their weapon was worth the risk of angering Ta no Kuni. It wasn't a hard decision, with no ninja village of its own and no solid alliances with other nations the land of rice paddies really posed no threat to the more established land of valleys.

Unfortunately to the group of three, or four with Marseru, that meant they didn't have the luxury of a break. Luckily Fuu and Naruto weren't too badly affected, both having large reserves and exceptional stamina they were still going fairly strong. The same could not be said for Shizuku; Naruto was doing what he could by topping up her Chakra every so often but there was only so much strain on her muscles and lungs that more Chakra could help with. Both Jinchuuriki had noticed this but it was Fuu who spoke up first.

"We need to stop." Naruto nodded sadly as they continued to sprint, he had been thinking about this too and knew their choices weren't all that open.

"If we stop we will have to face those ninja." Fuu just blinked once, her deadpan expression not changing for a moment.

"Fine." Naruto sighed into his hand at that, he knew travelling with somebody like Fuu was certainly going to be an experience to say the least. The three came to a stop in the next clearing the passed through, Shizuku taking the opportunity to lean against a tree and catch her breath. Not seconds later the ninja following them appeared, not entirely looking fresh themselves after such a long run.

"Good, you realised running from us is futile." Naruto just smiled passively as he walked in between the two groups, not looking al that threatening with his kindly smile and monk robes. Even so Shizuku knew when he was readying herself to fight, absently drumming his fingers on his shakujou with his sugegasa pulled back so the string wrapped around his neck and the hat itself rested against his upper back.

"I do not wish to fight you Shinobi-san. If you and your fellow ninja leave now this can all end peacefully." The lead ninja sneered behind his facemask, already motioning for the other ninja around him to fall into formation.

"The only way this is ending is with the demon back in Taki where it belongs. Stand in our way and you'll only get yourself killed." Some of the younger Shinobi were slightly unnerved when Naruto just looked up, still smiling but lacking the mirth from before. Most Shinobi had an inherent sense for danger and right now that was rolling off this eleven-year old in spades.

"Well, I was looking for an opportunity to try this out anyway." With that Naruto planted his shakujou into the ground, pulling off his travelling cloak in one sweeping movement and placing it on the staff like a coat rack.

"Last chance kid, let us take the weapon without a fight and you'll probably only end up in a cell for the rest of your miserable life." Naruto's smile only twisted up more at the edges as his hair fell forward over his eyes.

"I would appreciate if you didn't call my friend a weapon." His arm began to tremble at his side, but not from any kind of anger of fury, just the sheer volume of Chakra he was pushing through it. He raised it up slowly, making sure he was looking right at the Ninja before opening his eyes, releasing the Chakra as he clenched his fist tightly.

"Kenkyona Jinbun." It was almost instantaneous, all of the Shinobi in front of them gasped before buckling to one knee, each feeling like they were carrying an elephant on their back. They could only watch as Naruto increased the pressure in his hand, the weight pressing down on them increasing with it. What they didn't know was that Naruto had raised the gravitational pull in the area underneath them; currently they were facing six times the earth's normal gravity. Sometimes ninja used special seals to simulate increased gravity for resistance training, however to have that happen so suddenly and to such a degree, it was astounding they hadn't passed out yet from the blood rushing away from their heads.

As if thinking would bring it about one of the ninja's eyes rolled back in his head before slumping to the floor completely. It was like a chain reaction and soon all of the ninja were lying on the ground, completely unconscious. Immediately Naruto opened his hand, allowing the gravity to return to normal, tolerable levels as he took a deep breath. He had never tried that technique on another living being before, only having plants to try it on; it took a lot out of him. He turned with a smile at his two astounded and amazed companions; Shizuku's jaw was even hanging open.

Suddenly though that look of awe twisted into shock and fear and out of the corner of his eye Naruto saw something flying at him. His head turned but it was too late to dodge, he could clearly see every centimetre of the kunai flying right for his eyes, only a metre away. One of the Taki ninja had only played dead, launching a kunai as soon as the blonde' back was turned. Naruto could literally only watch in horror as the cold metal weapon came closer to his head; there wasn't even enough time to use Shinra Tensei.

However as soon as Naruto closed his eyes a metallic clang sounded out around the small clearing. When Naruto felt no pain he wearily cracked open an eye only to stare incredulously. In his hand was a long, thin black rod that was cold and heavy like metal; it had defiantly not been in his hand before. It was like his body had moved on pure instinct as soon as the cool metal appeared in his hand; he had brought it up in a millisecond to deflect the kunai where it now stuck point-down in the ground.

The Taki ninja who threw it saw it fail, cursing as his eyelids finally closed, succumbing to the unconsciousness he had staved off. Naruto just continued to stare in shock at the thin metal rod that had appeared in his hand, seemingly out of thin air. At that point Shizuku ran over, fussing over the blonde in concern, however when she saw there were no injuries she back off with a relieved smile. After she did Fuu walked over slightly shyly; if Naruto hadn't been occupied with shock over still having eyes he might have found her slight rosy blush cute.

"Why did you defend me like that?" Naruto finally shook his head, dropping the pole by accident as he cleared his head of the shock. To everybody's amazement as soon as it touched the ground it seemed to dissipate into a fine black dust before completely vanishing. After that particular shock wore off the blonde looked up at Fuu, managing to get a smile back on his face.

"You're my friend Fuu; I'll never need a reason to protect you or anybody else precious to me." He looked back down at where the black rod had disappeared so missed when Fuu's eyes widened and a new blush spread over her nose. Something like this was very new to her; human interaction beyond violence was well out of her comfort zone. All she had to go on were the few observations she could make walking to and from her cell back in Taki. This was why she took a step forward, awkwardly placed her arms around the blonde Jinchuuriki and stood there for a moment, all without properly understanding why.

Finally after Shizuku coughed from the awkward situation Fuu stepped back, returning her face to its previous emotionless mask. However she couldn't fight back the small blush still staining her caramel skin much to her joint ire and confusion. Naruto just looked at her for a moment, mild surprise and amusement mixing across his face before he settled for a small nod. Finally feeling a little better Fuu finally asked the question burning at the back of her mind.

"Those abilities you displayed, was that some form of wind manipulation?" She was curious as if it was then she hoped to be able to learn it; it appeared to be an excellent wide-area submission technique. Naruto just chuckled as he looked at the unconscious ninja, still spread out at awkward angles on the floor.

"Actually no, it's more akin to gravity manipulation." Fuu blinked at that in surprise, she had never heard of such an ability and she was forced to be up to date with any and all possible threats to the village.

"Is that some form of Kekkei Genkai?" Naruto just grinned again anxiously, wondering how much to say here before deciding against having any secrets with a fellow Jinchuuriki. He opened his eyes fully, eliciting a small look of interest from Fuu as she peered into the steely purple orbs.

"Not exactly, more one aspect out of six." At that Fuu raised an eyebrow, all kinds of modesty and social convention abandoned in favour of curiosity. She leaned in closer, studying the rings in his eyes making Naruto rather embarrassed at having her so close to his face. From here he could see her skin was incredibly smooth, not a single blemish across her face and almost chuckled at the way her lips pursed in her concentration.

"I have never heard or seen of this Doujutsu." Naruto smiled brightly as he backed away, earning a cute, if unintentional pout from the other Jinchuuriki.

"I'm not surprised really; we can talk more about it later though." He motioned over to where the ninja still lay with a thumb. "We need to find somewhere safe to hide out for the night in case any more of them show up." Fuu just nodded, obviously eager to do just that so she could get her answers. She crouched on the ground and Naruto could immediately see her channel her Bijuu's chakra in a minute amount, directing it into the ground. After a minute of waiting she stood back up, her face having returned to its emotionless state with the chance to get her thoughts in order.

"There is a small underground structure about half a mile from here." She looked around a moment before seemingly pointing in random direction. "That way." Naruto just looked at her curiously, wondering how she could detect such a thing from such a distance.

"Was that some kind of earth Jutsu?" Fuu just shook her head, already setting off for the supposed complex, too eager to wait. The mint-haired girl just looked back around, the corners of her lips twitching slightly.

"We can talk more about it later." With that she darted into the trees leaving a dumfounded Naruto and Shizuku in her wake. The blonde just turned to the girl, still looking surprised.

"Did she just make a joke?" Shizuku just shrugged, looking equally confused.

"I guess she's adjusting quickly?" The two could only shake their heads as they darted off after the Nanabi Jinchuuriki.

* * *

"Well this doesn't look at all ominous." The sarcasm in Shizuku's voice was almost palpable as the trio stared at the imposing sight before them. In the middle of the forest, where you would least expect it to be, was a staircase of rough-hewn stone. However this was not the first time Naruto and Shizuku had encountered a staircase where it probably shouldn't have been. It still made them more wary of the whole situation though; they didn't need a repeat of what happened in Kusa.

"You're sure this place is empty?" Fuu just gave a curt nod, looking more like she was giving a report to superiors than a reassuring gesture to a friend; Shizuku was confused for a moment when she tried to imagine why it wouldn't be that way. The staircase itself was surrounded on both sides by a small stone structure, just to better distinguish it from the surrounding forest. However most unnervingly there seemed to be various snake decals drawn into the walls at random.

"Maybe we would feel more secure if you told us just how you know?" Fuu looked over at Naruto for a moment, back to the staircase and then back to the blonde.

"The Nanabi gives me a somewhat limited ability to communicate with certain insect species. I simply asked them if there was anywhere nearby and they pointed me here. According to the chakra sensitive species there are no presences inside the complex larger than common mice." Naruto nodded with a smile as he noticed Shizuku calm down slightly. Still, Midara had been able to hide his Chakra signature from Naruto so he wanted to be cautious nonetheless.

"Alright then, good enough for me." With that the blonde descended into the stairwell, rather pleasantly surprised when a light came on above his head, activated by his proximity. "Oh good, I won't have to light the way this time." He continued on down with a rhythmic tapping as his shakujou connected with every alternate step. Fuu was about to follow him when she noticed Shizuku's continued hesitancy; she had seen the same thing with some Shinobi when on missions and thought she knew the proper course of action.

"I would not worry Shizuku-san, if there are people down there then they are most definitely dead. At most we will find a few skeletons or perhaps a corpse so there is no need to worry." With that she patted the violette on the shoulder and descended into the staircase herself. Shizuku just stared after her as her shoulders slumped forward dejectedly.

"Great."

* * *

After a little while of searching the underground complex and not finding much of interest other than a few scraps of what looked like burnt paper the trio settled down in a large room. It was filled with many standard beds that weren't too comfortable but better than sleeping on the floor. To Fuu though they felt like a luxury item, the fact she actually sank into the mattress kept amazing her like a cat following a light on the wall. It was almost amusing to watch her repeatedly sit or jump on the bed, almost. After all it only brought Naruto to think about why she could find such enjoyment in it in the first place.

After they were settled in for the night Naruto had gone on to explain about his Rinnegan to Fuu. The girl had listened at an almost unnaturally rapt attention with wide eyes, just soaking in the information like a sponge. Naruto believed it was because of her isolated life; she would naturally want to do the things that were either considered forbidden for her to do before or would feel like a large middle finger to Taki. Considering how much they kept her in the dark about, either intentionally or just out of apathy, it was no wonder she had such an intense thirst for knowledge. It was perhaps for the wrong reasons but you work with what you have.

At the end of their talk Fuu sat quietly for a moment, digesting what she had heard as Shizuku played with Marseru on the other side of the room. Naruto had made a small fire for them by burning some old wooden furniture they had found; luckily the complex had a ventilation system.

"Perhaps this new ability of your involving the Chakra rod is connected to your Kekkei Genkai." Naruto blinked, wondering why that of all things was the first subject Fuu brought up.

"I suppose it could be, but I don't feel any kind of words coming to mind when I think about it." Naruto had not been idle as they talked; he had attempted to re-create the rod again with some success. He had plenty of experience re-creating abilities from only one experience. By now he knew it had something to do with necessity like if he needed the ability to create a rod of black metal to deflect a kunai and that was in the capabilities of the Rinnegan, then it would happen.

So right now he was twirling such a rod absently in his hands; now that he had the chance to better look at it he could see it was practically flooded with Chakra. In fact if Naruto hadn't seen it up close and actually touched it he could have sworn it was just pure Chakra in a cylinder shape. The only conclusion Naruto had at the moment was it was actually created from his own Chakra. Fuu supported this, she had knowledge of a few clans and Kekkei Genkai with the limited ability to create solid constructs from Chakra; in fact one of the clans native to Ta no Kuni, the Fuuma, had a few members who specialised in it.

After a whole though their conversation wound down as it grew later; they had all had a stressful and exhausting day and needed some rest. It was with no small amount of satisfaction Naruto laid his head down on the plain mattress, almost immediately falling asleep.

* * *

It wasn't to last it seemed as after what felt like only minutes, but based on his internal clock probably closer to an hour, Naruto shifted awake. He sleepily raised his head with a frown; he was normally an excellent sleeper if not slightly alert in the morning to threats. It just came with sleeping outside, even with the protection of his sand huts. He soon realised why he had woken up when he turned, somewhat surprised to see Fuu in her own bed, sitting there and just staring off into space.

"Fuu?" The mint-haired girl turned quickly before relaxing at the sight of the blonde looking over at her in concern.

"I apologise Naruto-san, I did not mean to wake you." Naruto quickly waved her of as he stood up, stretching off his back slightly from the stiff bed.

"Call me Naruto, I don't like all that honorific stuff. I never feel like I deserve the respect." Fuu just blinked at him in surprise; in her eyes he was the one who rescued her from a life of misery; if she couldn't respect him then she did think she could respect anybody. "Why are you still up?" Fuu just blinked again as she looked towards the door of the room where a hint of moonlight trickled through the corridor.

"It is not my designated sleeping time yet." Naruto gave a worried frown as he walked over, leaning against the bed opposite his fellow Jinchuuriki.

"What do you mean?" Fuu just looked up at him like what she had said made perfect sense.

"I am supposed to go to sleep at exactly midnight to wake up at precisely four in order to maximise productivity." Naruto just sighed with a small but sad smile.

"Fuu, you're not in Taki anymore. You're allowed to go to sleep whenever you like." Fuu just gave a small frown of her own as she looked down at the bed; she didn't feel sleepy yet, she was too used to her schedule.

"I don't think I can." Naruto just gave her a grin as he offered out his hand.

"Alright then; why don't we go for a walk then?" Fuu just blinked at the outstretched hand before taking it hesitantly. The two slowly began to stroll through the seemingly abandoned complex in silence; the only sounds were the occasional chirp of a cicada. Finally Naruto broke it as they turned a bend, absently trailing a hand across the wall.

"So what do you think this place was?" Fuu looked around for a moment, noting the corridor was well-constructed, although it looked to be slightly hurried. The walls were wooden but well maintained and fee of rot while the floor was stone slabs.

"Perhaps some kind of smuggling outpost, there were fairly common missions back in Taki to eliminate them." Naruto just nodded with a thoughtful look, at least until his hand trailed over a particular panel in the wall, applying just enough pressure for it to move in slightly. The two immediate stepped back as a stone slab in front of them swung away to reveal a set of hidden stairs beneath them. There was silence for a moment as both peered into the darkness blow them for a moment.

"Did any of those smuggling hideouts have one of these?" Fuu just stared down for a little longer, slightly unnerved by the lack of bugs she could feel down there.

"No they did not."

* * *

**A/N: I thought I would clarify some things: Verdette is like brunette but for green hair, Vert being French for Green, likewise for Violette and Purple hair.  
A sugegasa is a typical Asian conical hat – similar to the ones the Akatsuki originally wear but lacking the dangling tassels around the rim.  
A shakujou (If you really didn't know by now) is a Buddhist staff with metal rings at the end which 'jangle' as they move to warn insects away from them so they do not get stepped on. It is not a weapon; that is what getsugasan are for (Monk/Shaolin spades). **


	17. Storm IX

**Hmm, Samehada enjoys the taste of the Gaki's Chakra, but that doesn't mean he belongs to Digi**

* * *

**Sage**

_"All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make, the better." – Ralph Emerson_

* * *

"Is it just me or is it getting warmer down here?" The two were making their way down the winding staircase they found; it may not have been the smartest thing they had ever done however no matter what their lives had been like, they were still pre-pubescent kids and their curiosity won out. Fuu just looked around as the earthen walls were slowly replaced by metal as the staircase continued to spiral down.

"It is. Most likely this area of the compound is either heated or lacks ventilation to prevent exposure or infiltration. It is fairly common practise when creating a forward base in enemy territory." Naruto just sighed as he refrained from trailing his arms along the walls again, wary from what happened last time.

"Great, so we managed to stumble across another secret base." Fuu looked at him curiously for a moment as the blonde chuckled anxiously. "Long story but we accidentally found an underground base in Kusa no Kuni. Turned out this guy was guarding it who could turn his body into mud, kept saying stuff about protecting the base and 'Orochimaru-sama'. I beat him and we left, didn't really feel like sticking around after he almost killed Shizuku." Fuu just looked even more intrigued as she returned her gaze straight ahead.

"You're sure he said Orochimaru?" Naruto just nodded while Fuu's gaze turned thoughtful like she was remembering something and trying to get the details right. "Orochimaru, S-ranked nuke-nin from Konohagakure no Sato, previous member of the Densetsu no Sannin and holder of the snake summoning contract, do not approach." Naruto blinked in surprise as the stairway finally levelled out, turning into a long metallic corridor with only two rooms on either side.

"That was very... comprehensive." Fuu just nodded succinctly as she made her way over to the left hand door.

"I was _encouraged _to memorise the bingo book for reference on missions" Naruto could quite easily hear the spite in her voice as she spoke.

"Wait!" He quickly grabbed Fuu's hand before she could lay it on the door. "There are seals covering the door. I'm not sure what they do but I don't think they're going to make us feel good." Fuu just blinked calmly before retracting her hand, allowing Naruto instead to reach forward and drain the chakra from the seals. "Wow, they really put a lot of Chakra in these, they really didn't want anybody getting in here." Eventually he stopped, now satisfied the door was completely harmless; even so when he went to open it he found it was locked.

"Ha, as if that'll keep me out. Banshou Ten'in." Almost immediately the door began to crumple, buckling out as if struck by some enormous force on the other side. Fuu was actually surprised it was still holding with so much apparent strain on the metal. Eventually though the sturdy door was completely ripped from its hinges, forcing Naruto to dodge to one side in order to avoid it crushing him against the other side of the corridor. He grinned, rubbing his hands together expectantly as he walked inside, only to frown.

"What the..? It's just a load of drawers." Sure enough the room was completely lined with drawers, ranging from old wooden ones to more modern metal filing cabinets. There were even a few desks in the corners with various papers strewn across their surfaces.

"You should not be so quick to dismiss. If the information here was guarded so thoroughly it is sure to be valuable, at least to somebody." She idly moved to one of the desks, picking up a loose sheet from one of the many stacks. It was mostly incomprehensible to her but she could at least glean it was some kind of blueprint; to what she couldn't say though. Naruto likewise began looking at the various drawers, now noticing many were labelled with names of either places or people. Most prevalent were the Shinobi villages, and not just the main ones; there were places like Hoshigakure and Tanigakure among others.

"Oh hey, this one's got the name of that guy we faced in Kusa that I was telling you about." Interested, Fuu grabbed the manila file with the name 'Midara' printed in the upper right corner. She flicked through the contents which were, once again, mostly lost on her being scientific jargon. However one sheet caught her eye in particular which she drew out to read under better light.

"Subject Seventeen shows incredible promise adapting to the splicing treatment, Chakra paper tests prove an unimaginable affinity for earth which was previously non-existent. Full range of abilities unknown; recommend observation in isolated base until further testing authorized. Results of test to be used in treatments classified 'Nidaime-H2' and 'Sora-U7." She looked up to see Naruto's confused face which unknowingly mirrored her own.

"What does all that mean?" Fuu shrugged absently as she continued to flick through the file, growing more and more disgusted as she went.

"It appeared somebody was forcibly attempting to create affinities in somebody by using gene-splicing techniques. Based on the fact this is subject seventeen and the first one to show positive result I would say the treatments are not that effective." Naruto felt a little queasy at that, he had seen Midara first hand; the treatment had been very successful from his perspective. Fuu quickly set the file down and began scanning the files again until she found the one labelled Nidaime-H2.

"Naruto, I believe you should read this one. It appears they repeated the procedure but with cells from the Nidaime Hokage and a member of the Hozuki clan. From that alone it is obvious they were attempting to create the perfect water affinity and well, read for yourself." Naruto did, carefully flicking between the various pages filled with detailed medical reports, test notes as well as a list and profiles of all the subjects, which happened to be unfortunately lengthy. Finally he put it down, his hand on his chin as he frowned deeply at the floor.

"And you think...?" he left it hanging but got a quick nod from Fuu who didn't seem quite as disturbed as he did. Then again he wondered if she actually saw the wrong in these experiments in the first place.

"It is quite possible, the listed attributes the various subjects displayed is eerily similar." Naruto nodded grimly, what Fuu said was completely true, down to the tee.

"But this said there were no survivors." Fuu just shrugged, idly flicking through another report but not finding much more of interest.

"It's quite possible reports can be falsified or missing." Naruto just sigh into his hand, fingering the file anxiously and wishing the room was large enough to pace in.

"Should we tell her?" Fuu just gave Naruto a deadpan look causing the boy to give another drawn out sigh. "Right, right, not so good on the people skills." Fuu just looked down for a moment only for Naruto to give her a reassuring pat on the back. "It's alright; we'll sleep on it for now." With that he grabbed the file and sealed it into one of his pouches before quickly walking out of the room. Fuu followed but gave a curious glance back at the room.

"We are just going to leave it like this?" Naruto smirked quietly as his eyes took on a dangerous edge, looking rather ominous as they glowed.

"Oh no, these experiments are sick. I'm destroying any trace of them and if I ever find the man who was responsible for all this..." he left that statement hanging but Fuu could easily feel the sheer anger in his words, despite them being rather cold and even. "There'll be nothing left when I'm through." He turned back to the room and began channelling his Chakra through his hands rapidly, faster and faster until it began to heat up and convert into fire-natured Chakra.

Fuu could only watch in a great deal of amazement as Naruto's hands burst into bright orange flame, yet his hands seemed completely unharmed. He quickly went about the room, burning away any and all files he found until there was nothing left in the room but fire and ash. He finally emerged looking a great deal calmer as he allowed the flames in his hands to snuff out. He breathed out a sigh of relief before smiling at the now befuddled Jinchuuriki, waving his hands to cool them off slightly.

"Well I feel better." Luckily the other room on the secret floor was just some kind of operating room with a single raised table and a few shelves with nothing in. Satisfied that whoever owned this place would be severely irritated when they came back to it Naruto and Fuu made their way back up to the main floor of the base, sealing the passage behind them. Before the two went to bed though Naruto caught Fuu by the wrist softly, unknowingly making the girl blush slightly.

"For now, let's not tell Shizuku about this, it would be a lot to take in." Fuu blinked in confusion for a moment before nodding once, earning a smile of appreciation from Naruto. "I promise I will tell her, but somewhere better than here." Fuu just nodded again, she had already made her peace and didn't need the reassurance but she still found it quite nice.

"Good night Naruto-san." The blonde just gave a tired sigh as he moved over to his own bed.

"I told you, Naruto is fine."

* * *

The next day the trio set out from the base quite happily, eager to get away from there; especially Shizuku. Naruto had woken early, or at least he thought he had; Fuu in fact had been up for several hours before him. He had actually been worried at first as he had woken up only to find Fuu not in her bed. Luckily he found her quite close to the entrance of the base, just sitting on a rock and waiting for the sun to rise. According to her she had never had the time to really appreciate it before; it had only indicated a time for her to begin changing exercises.

Naruto was rather pleased with the contented expression on Fuu's face as they walked; it appeared an enormous weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Where before her movements had been stiff and anxious she now had a much lighter step and a more calm face without it having to be forced. He made a silent promise to himself that, like with Shizuku, he would never allow something to hurt Fuu as long as he could protect her; she deserved that at least.

Crossing through Ta no Kuni proved uneventful save for a few attempts at pick-pocketing the trio while passing through less than reputable towns. Luckily most of what they owned that was precious was sealed within Naruto's pouches including their money and supplies and any attempt to even touch the container on Fuu's back ended up with the thief on the floor, more often than not sporting a newly broken wrist.

It was confusing the blonde as from what he had been told by his master, the land of rice paddies was supposed to be a small but still economically sound country. It made sense considering they grew and provided the bulk of rice to the elemental nations, less domestic-oriented countries like Kaminari no Kuni and Kaze no Kuni being nearly dependant on their crop. However from what he could see the people seemed run down or drained and many had taken to thievery to just stay afloat.

He had helped where he could but a lot of the time he could see his generosity was being greatly taken advantage of. As soon as he handed out even a little bit of food to the people he would immediately be swamped by what felt like the entire village. It was here that Naruto aptly learned that if you give a man a fish he eats for a day, give a man a fishing rod and he will sell it to buy fish anyway.

He had also had an impromptu lesson on politics when he passed through a village that was struggling with their crop. He had gouged out a large trench from a nearby river with his gravity manipulation so their crops could be irrigated only to have a multitude of mercenaries set on him by a local Feudal Lord that was rather displeased his water feature had stopped working. When he had found out exactly why he and his companions had been chased across half the country he had nearly turned around to level the Lord's house.

By the time they finally reached the border to Yu no Kuni they were tired, hot and sticky as well as very low on money and supplies. It was almost with audible relief the trio finally stopped at a local village, Naruto could practically smell the hot springs from the gate. They checked into a small Onsen-Inn with what little money they had left before exhaustedly collapsing on their beds. They only had enough money for a single two-person room though so in Naruto's case he exhaustedly collapsed on the small couch.

* * *

Naruto wearily blinked his eyes open, rather surprised when he found himself not in the room he had collapsed in, but inside his seal instead. The usual greeting occurred of Shukaku excitedly bouncing around, Kyuubi belittling him, Shukaku flying into a rage before quieting down as he once again noticed the blonde. Naruto had taken the opportunity to try something by creating one of his black chakra rods, just confirming that he could do that within the seal. Technically he could produce anything in the seal but the rod was still flooded with his chakra.

He looked up only to strangely find Shukaku's gaze firmly fixed on the rod in his hands. Slowly Naruto moved it across, watching as Shukaku's golden orbs followed it with almost palpable anticipation. Once again he slowly moved it across his body and once again the eyes followed its movements. A devious grin spread across the boy's face as he suddenly pulled his arm back and threw the rod as hard as he could into the Ichibi's cell, firing it forward with gravity manipulation for good measure.

As expected but still highly amusing, Shukaku lurched back as his head tracked the rod's flight path before suddenly scrambling backward to run after it. The great sand construct's slow lumbering steps faded off into the distance of his darkened cell. At that point the Kyuubi lazily rolled its eye in Naruto's direction, its furry brow darkening for a moment as it watched Naruto swiftly slide another rod out of his sleeve.

"**If you throw that rod at me I swear I will rip off the arm you used to throw it with great satisfaction." **Naruto just grinned sheepishly as he allowed the rod to dissipate into a harmless dust.

"Hey." The enormous fox just sighed deeply, the great breath of air causing Naruto's robes to billow out.

"**For what tortuous reason are you visiting me today, bearing that bastardized technique of the Sage with you no less?" **Naruto just blinked as he created another rod, staring down at it curiously as he turned it about in his hands.

"This is one of the Sage's techniques?" Again the great fox snorted derisively, its red orbs narrowing in contempt.

"**Please, to compare your cheap conjuring trick with the Sage's Banbatsu Souzou is the same as comparing a dying ember to the Sun." **The fox made to get close to the bars to increase his intimidating glare. **"You will never be him." **Naruto simply grinned right back, disturbing the Chakra creature with how dismissive he could be of the fox's overwhelming presence.

"I don't want to be the Sage. I'm Naruto Uzumaki and I'm my own man..." He frowned for a moment "...boy, whatever." He looked up with a small chuckled as the fox lay back down with its head resting on its paws. "So Creation of All Things? That sounds impressive." Another grunt from the Kyuubi ensued as its eyes remained firmly closed, clearly telling Naruto to leave it be. "So what else could he make?" Silence reigned except for the steady if highly irritated breathing of the great kitsune. Suddenly a thought struck Naruto as his shakujou appeared in his hand, as if from thin air.

"Did he make this with it?" At that the Kyuubi cracked open an eye to glare distastefully at the boy who only grinned victoriously. "Ah, so he did." The eye immediately closed again much to Naruto's silent amusement. "You know, what do you really stand to lose being more cooperative?" Suddenly the fox's eyes snapped open as it rose to its full height, an all too familiar and imposing grin stretched across its glistening maw.

"**Oh? And what do I stand to _gain_? My freedom?" **Naruto smirked as he shot back without a moment of hesitation.

"Maybe." At that the fox blinked once, the twisted grin morphing into a more irritated snarl.

"**Do not lie to me Ningen, it debases your already pitiful race even further." **Naruto sighed but never lost his confident smile, instead settling for sitting down on the warm ground.

"I'm not lying. I want to free not only you, but all the Bijuu; preferably where you cannot harm anybody." The fox just snorted at that, settling down once again as their impromptu staring contest continued.

"**So that is your plan? To send us away to some far corner where we are no threat? Let the world forget about us so we can just fade away?" **Naruto never backed down for a moment as he stared back defiantly.

"And you would prefer to live on this way? Moving from host to host, a slave to whatever human fancy strikes your container?" The fox finally looked away, huffing irritably in contempt.

"**Leave Ningen, your pathetic ideals are wasted on me. I am beyond your pitiful preaching." **Naruto gave a small conceding nod as he stood up, just in time for Shukaku to come lumbering back with the Chakra rod happily held in its enormous jaws. Naruto rubbed the construct's head much to its delight before vanishing from the seal once again.

* * *

When Naruto finally opened his eyes in the real world he took the opportunity to stretch out his back with a loud yawn, smiling as he felt his spine crack in a few places pleasantly. He looked up with that same contented smile only to notice both beds in the room were empty; he panicked before spotting the small note plastered to the door with chakra so that he would notice. He walked over, still stretching out a few sore spots like in his neck and arms before plucking the note from the wall.

'_Naruto, gone to hot springs  
brought Fuu with me  
having girl time  
-Shizuku'_

Naruto smiled at the note; it didn't sound like a bad idea in his mind so he quickly delved into the room's wardrobe and pulled out one of the complimentary robes. He shucked his robes, rolling his shoulders at how light he suddenly felt. He never did really appreciate just how much the weighted robes weighed until he took them off. He took a moment to look at himself in the mirror on the far wall, raising an eyebrow at what he saw.

He had grown since leaving the temple, probably just above five foot now; his muscles had developed accordingly but there was no immediate difference besides being slightly more noticeable. His hair had grown too, the loose ponytail he always kept his spiky locks in descending to the middle of his back while two shaggy bangs had begun to form around his temples. Naruto also thought he could be imagining things but it appeared his whisker marks had thickened ever so slightly and the area just around his eyes had darkened.

In all Naruto was rather pleased with how he had grown up over the past year. He frowned suddenly, that was right; he hadn't even fully realised almost a year had passed since he had ventured out from the temple on his pilgrimage. He sat down on the bed as he slipped on the robe, his brow furrowed slightly in thought. What had he learned in that time? He was supposed to be trying to unravel the mysteries of Chakra; he knew from the offset he had not given himself an easy task but he had expected to accomplish more in a year.

He quickly shook his head, he had mastered wind and fire manipulation, discovered new things about his eyes, helped two fellow Jinchuuriki and made a good friend. He had accomplished far more than he would have ever dreamed imaginable. Still, as he thought about his upcoming birthday he could only reminisce over the previous year and how far he had actually come in his goal. Quickly though it passed as he noticed the note still in his hand; with a grin he picked himself up and walked out of the room.

He made sure his shakujou was lying over his clothing to prevent anybody taking it; it was another ability he had discovered rather recently while searching for Taki. He found he could almost imbue the staff with his Deva path, effectively increasing its weight tenfold or conversely decreasing it to the point he could barely feel it in his hand. He hadn't tried this yet with his Preta path because he wasn't exactly sure what that would do or if it would be dangerous to those around him.

He quickly walked down to the hot springs, noticing they were separated into male and female, and quickly changed into a small towel he kept tied around his waist. When he walked in he noticed he seemed to be completely alone; it was strange, but not unheard of so he shrugged it off and lowered himself into the steaming waters. Instantly a sigh escaped his mouth as the waters began to leech the aches and worries from his body.

After a while, he wasn't sure how long but it really didn't matter by that point, his eyebrow began to visibly twitch as he lay back in the waters. A soft but highly irritating giggling kept disturbing his peaceful soak; however when he raised his head to look around there was nobody there. He shook his head and lay back down, dismissing it as something happening on the girls' side of the Onsen, they were only separated by a single wooden wall after all.

However as it continued Naruto was more and more sure it was coming from his side of the springs. While it was high pitch the voice was definitely masculine and every so often it would be accompanied by the sound of a pencil scratching against paper. Finally having enough Naruto got up, still with a towel wrapped around his waist; his hair was now plastered around his head though in a damp mess without his hair tie.

He walked towards the noise, still very confused when he ended up at a portion of the wooden wall separating the two springs. He was about to dismiss it again as being on the other side when his eyes caught a faint ripple in the air that he wouldn't have notice if he hadn't been studying the area intently. He looked at it until he was sure it was a person using some kind of Jutsu; disturbingly though he couldn't see even an ounce of Chakra. He waited another moment before clearing his throat; when nothing happened he cleared his throat again.

"Yeah, what do you want Gaki?" Naruto was only mildly surprised when the Jutsu finally dropped to reveal a man with long spiky white hair, tied up in a fashion similar to the way he did his own but much longer. He was wearing a red and green battle kimono and geta sandals with a Shinobi headband that simply had the kanji for oil making his allegiances unclear. Most strange of all though was the fact he was standing atop an enormous toad who, possibly even stranger still, looked incredibly embarrassed to be there.

"Don't you think it's rude to be spying on the female side of the Onsen?" The white-haired man just raised an eyebrow at the small blonde boy who had a startling resemblance to his prized student. Of course he knew it was not Minato, the three whisker marks in each cheek disproved that. He was confused though, it couldn't be Naruto either, last word from his sensei told him Naruto was currently in the Fire Temple. However blonde hair with whiskers was not something you saw every day and Jiraiya was not a legendary spy master for being unobservant.

"It's not rude kid, I'm giving these lovely ladies a chance to be a rare part of my research." He giggled perversely after that as a small trickle of blood leaked from the corner of his nose. He hopped down off the toad to avoid being spotted by the women on the other side now he was visible.

"Research?" The man grinned broadly at that in a way Naruto found immediately uncomfortable.

"Ah, so you're unfamiliar with my work?" Naruto just looked at him cluelessly which was all the answer he needed before he produced a single orange book from seemingly nowhere. "Here kid, you're a little young but it might just give you the edge later on in life." He winked at the blonde before climbing back up on the toad to continue his peeping.

"Uhh, Jiraiya-sama, please be careful with those geta. My back is not made of stone you know." Naruto just blinked once, then twice and then a third time as he stared at the toad... that had just talked.

"Quiet Gamaageru, you'll give us away." Naruto continued to stare as the toad groaned in annoyance and discomfort; or croaked at least.

"Did your toad just talk?" The man turned around again with an exasperated look which also seemed relatively amused.

"Of course he did, he's a summon from Myobokuzan." Suddenly the man jumped off the toad with a wild flourish, allowing the poor amphibian to dispel into smoke with a relieved croak. "And that of course would make me the one and only, the great and wise, the gallant... Jiraiya!" A few seconds went by after the man performed his little kabuki dance with just the sound of cicadas chirping in the background as Naruto stared at the man blankly. Finally Jiraiya looked down with a hint of irritation at the young blonde who just blinked back without comprehension.

"You have no idea who I am, do you?" Naruto just shook his head once causing the large man to flop his torso forward almost comically with an imaginary cloud over his head. Finally he stood up as if nothing had happened, straightening his kimono top with an absent shake of his head. "Pftt, kids today, don't know anything important. Anyway, run along kid, I have things to do." Naruto just shrugged, already fairly bored with the man before him. "Now where did Gamaageru go?" Naruto suddenly turned back around with interest as the man began running through hand seals; unknowingly showing Naruto the precise way the Chakra moved for the Jutsu.

"Kuchiyose no jutsu!" The man slammed his hands down and a moment later the same large toad reappeared in the same cloud of smoke it had disappeared in. Naruto only watched with interest for a moment longer before turning back, deciding against returning to the spring if this pervert planned on sticking around. However as he began to walk back he could help but notice the man precariously leaning over the edge of the divide, no doubt hoping for a better look through the steam. Naruto just couldn't help himself; he hadn't pranked anybody in far too long.

"Shinra Tensei." Naruto greatly toned down the technique, using only minimum Chakra; however it was enough to overbalance the toad sage, tipping him over the edge and into the female side. Naruto walked back to his room grinning, the sounds of righteous feminine fury like music in his ears as he left.

* * *

Naruto sat on one of the beds, Fuu and Shizuku still had not returned from the hot springs and Marseru was sleeping in a pile of Shizuku's clothes. He was absently twirling a Chakra rod in his hands, something that had become somewhat of an anxious tick recently. He was thinking about the encounter with the strange man and the things he could do; he was obviously a Shinobi yet with his strange headband Naruto couldn't be sure where from.

More specifically he was thinking about the man's invisibility Jutsu and the way he summoned the toad. He believed the former worked by somehow bending light around the user, yet without seeing any hand signs he couldn't be certain. However now the blonde knew such a thing was possible he was certainly going to try and replicate it someday; the ability to turn completely invisible was just too useful to ignore.

However more immediately on his mind was the summoning Jutsu, he had no idea exactly how it worked as none of the monks at the temple knew the technique. However he knew it just couldn't be random as the man obviously had some kind of history with the toad, Gamaageru if he remembered right. He continued to think as he sat on the bed; it couldn't possibly be as simple as running through some hand seals and putting the right amount of Chakra in, could it?

Almost without even realising Naruto's hands began to almost instinctively run through the motions he had seen Jiraiya use. He moulded his Chakra in a certain way almost reflexively as a feeling he hadn't experienced in years overcame him, words suddenly imposing themselves in his mind.

"Animal path, Kuchiyose!"


	18. Storm X

**Unfortunately Digi does not own Naruto, Kishimoto own it and makes me wait each week for new chapters... I hate to be kept waiting.**

* * *

**Sage**

_"Attempting to debate with a person who has abandoned reason is like giving medicine to the dead." - Thomas Paine_

* * *

"Animal path, Kuchiyose!"

Smoke enveloped the room causing Naruto to cough violently into his hand as he waved the other in an attempt to clear the suffocating white smoke. When it did clear a confused frown spread across his face; standing there, looking rather confused himself, was Marseru. Strangely enough the little monkey was holding onto one of his Chakra rods, one of the ones he had created earlier and left in the room to see how long they lasted.

"Huh?" It wasn't the most eloquent thing he had ever said but it summed up the situation quite nicely. Frowning he picked up the little Capuchin and once again placed him across the room; by now the little simian had dropped the rod so Naruto quickly created another. He tried to hand it to Marseru but he seemed wary of the innocuous black stick but in the end accepted it anyway, lightly nibbling on it.

Naruto retreated across the room and once again ran through the hand seals before pausing at the last one. He stopped, allowing his Chakra to settle before doing it again but this time just manipulating his Chakra instead of using the hand signs. He wasn't sure why but for some reason it just felt more natural this way; slamming his hands down he was once again enveloped in smoke, but less this time. Just as confused as before Marseru stood in front of him, this time quickly throwing the Chakra rod across the room.

"Wow, this is so cool." He again moved across the room, staring intently at Marseru who by this point was hopping up and down while chattering excitedly. He once again moulded the Chakra, focusing intently on the monkey, although this time it felt more difficult, like he was actually having to force it instead of it coming naturally. A third time Marseru appeared in front of him out of a veil of smoke but it confirmed it was far more difficult.

'_Hmm, so I can summon him, but if they have one of my Chakra rods it's easier.'_ He frowned again before walking over to the monkey, quickly pushing some of his own Chakra into the monkey's system. It wasn't too dangerous, as far as he could tell the Chakra between all living things besides plants was fairly similar and his Preta path automatically adjusted to the new body. He walked back and tried the summoning again, this time smirking as it once again flowed naturally, resulting in yet another instance of Marseru travelling across the room.

'_Okay no, it's not my Chakra rods, but my Chakra; I can summon anything connected with my Chakra with ease.' _He smiled at the new discovery and if the words that had appeared in his head were any indication he had discovered a new path which made three down and three more to go. '_Hmm, I wonder if I can summon anything else.' _He focused instead on a lamp that was across the room from him, once again moulding his chakra in the correct way.

However this time it was almost as if his Chakra refused to flow, making his hand stutter from the build up before he allowed it to re-disperse into his body with a small sigh. That time it had felt more exhausting than he thought possible, forcing him to sit back on the bed. The lamp hadn't budged an inch, causing the blonde to frown. Just to check he re-tried it, only for the exact same results and another rush of tiredness to sweep over him.

'_Okay, so I either can't summon objects or I don't have enough Chakra to do it. Even so it seems like an enormous waste even if I could get it to work, it's too tiring.' _Naruto spent another few minutes experimenting with his new found ability trying to discover everything he could about it. Quickly he managed to learn that if he implanted a Chakra rod into anything then he could then summon it, likewise if he pushed enough Chakra into an object he could summon that too, although it was still very exhausting.

'_So I can summon animals and anything with my Chakra in; but what about people?' _Curiously he began to mould his Chakra again, for some reason his thoughts instantly going to Fuu. Without even thinking it through all the way he slammed his hand down, the usual summoning matrix spreading out from his palm on the floor. He nearly fainted as the resulting smoke cleared only to reveal a confused, and very naked Fuu.

"What happened?" The mocha-skinned girl turned only to find herself in the room they were staying in, surrounded by quickly dissipating smoke. Naruto was also there, although he was turned away from her with his hand over his eyes.

"Gah! I'm so sorry Fuu." The mint-haired girl just blinked rapidly, wondering just what was going on.

"Naruto-san? How did I get here?" Naruto turned slowly; still keeping his eyes covered as Fuu was still just standing there, oblivious or uncaring of her nudity.

"I, uh, I summoned you?" Fuu blinked once again before a look of incredulity crossed her features. She knew about summoning and summoning contracts of course but the possibility of one person summoning another despite the fact they were not a summoning animal and there was no contract was too much.

"You summoned me?" The blonde just nodded slowly while Fuu's eyebrow only raised slightly. "Can I ask why?" Naruto nodded slowly again, looking far more sheepish this time. "And also why you are covering your eyes like that?" At that Naruto just looked at her in shock, or at least as much as he could convey with his eyes covered like that.

"What do you mean? You're naked!" Fuu just looked down, her eye quirking as if was the first time she had actually noticed.

"Oh, so I am." She looked up, her face completely unconcerned, not that Naruto could see that, all he could see was the vague outline of her Chakra. "Was there a reason you summoned me naked?" At that Naruto raised a hand, waving it madly as his face flushed bright red as he began to mumble gibberish before promptly fainting, luckily onto the bed. Fuu blinked again at the situation before sighing and grabbing another towel; Shizuku would probably be worried at her sudden absence.

* * *

Naruto hummed pleasantly as he woke up, enjoying the warmth of the bed and the softness of the blanket. It had been a long time since he had been able to sleep on a comfortable mattress, longer still since he had a pillow as well. The warmth in front of him was also incredibly pleasant so he pulled it a little closer to him, finding the resulting murmur of appreciation cute. He took a deep and satisfied breath, finding an earthy but not unpleasant scent invading his nose.

Wait...

He cracked open a single violet eye only to see a sheet of wavy green hair in front of him; that wasn't right. Suddenly the head the hair belonged to shifted and Naruto suddenly found himself face to face with a sleepy, but definitely awake Fuu.

"Morning Naruto-san." The blonde just blinked, his early morning body still just a little too unresponsive to move; there was also the fact he had one arm wrapped around Fuu's comfortably warm body.

"Fuu, why are we in the same bed?" The mint-haired girl simply yawned cutely into her palm, the one that wasn't trapped by Naruto's own arm.

"This is my bed, I didn't want to wake you Naruto-san so I let you stay here." Naruto nodded slowly, trying to inch his body away from the girl despite her rather adamantly refusing to let his arm leave.

"Okay, but then why is my arm wrapped around your body?" With how Fuu kept responding as if it was of little concern the situation became increasingly surreal.

"Naruto-san is very warm." At that Naruto simply nodded again slowly before succeeding in pulling his body out of her grip, much to her sleepy protest. He quickly jumped out of bed, sighing in relief when he found himself still wearing clothes at least. He looked down only to notice that Fuu did not extend the same courtesy. Immediately his face took on a remarkable tomato-esque hue as he robotically moved away from the bed only to have Fuu sit up, still completely uncaring about her indecency.

"Ah Fuu, please put some clothes on!" Fuu just tilted her head innocently, a look of confusion on her face that was far too cute to be anything less than an A-ranked Jutsu.

"As I understood it boys enjoy seeing girls without their clothes. Was I wrong?" Naruto's eyes just began to twitch violently, his blush didn't lose any of its intensity either.

"Ah well, yes but uhh, right now it's um, you see..." Naruto gave a small fleeting smile, desperately trying to keep his gaze strictly on Fuu's orange eyes. However it didn't last long and he happily collapsed back on the couch with a large grin and just the faintest trickle of blood running down his nose. It was of course at that moment Shizuku woke up, sleepily rubbing her eyes with another cute yawn. She looked around, noticing Fuu just now pulling on her mesh undershirt while Naruto was seemingly asleep on the couch with a strange look.

"Good morning Fuu, what's going on?" The verdette just looked at the other girl for a moment, her confused gaze flickering between her and Naruto a few times.

"I'm not entirely sure myself."

* * *

A few days later and the ragtag group of Jinchuuriki, monk, girl, and monkey were just about to cross over the border to Shimo no Kuni. Naruto had managed to get over the incident in the Onsen but he hadn't quite been able to look at Fuu without a small blush for the next day. Luckily Fuu didn't mention it to Shizuku, either because she understood what she did or because she didn't think it was noteworthy. Naruto honestly didn't care either way.

"Okay ummm, how about a three-headed bird?" Over the course of the past few days with little else to do on their journey, the group had taken to suggesting fantastical things for Naruto to try and summon. He had discovered that if he attempted to summon something which technically shouldn't exist, it would be 'created' in a way much like a shadow clone. The creature itself would have no real mind of its own and Naruto could even see though its Rinnegan eyes. It also made an amusing game to see if there was something he could not summon.

Obliging, Naruto slammed his hand down on the ground as they walked; out of the cloud of smoke which he had worked on reducing flew a small feathered bird with three heads, all of which had Rinnegan eyes. It gave Naruto a brief headache before he dismissed it with another burst of Chakra. He had wondered what happened to the creatures he created once he dismissed them, but ultimately dismissed it as more suggestions came.

"How about something that can warm us up?" Fuu made a valid point; it had started to become extremely cold the closer they got to the border. Naruto was fine as he was running fire Chakra through his system but Fuu and Shizuku, despite their warm cloaks, were starting to feel it. Naruto just put a finger to his lips as he contemplated what to summon before inspiration struck.

"Okay, let's try this!" he slammed his hand down and allowed the customary sealing matrix to spread out as the other two, and Marseru to a smaller degree, watched in anticipation. Out of the smoke crawled a small lizard; that in itself was not all that impressive, what was interesting was the creature was a dull shade of orange and had fire streaming down it's back like a fin, ending with a small flame at the tip of its tail.

"Whoa, never thought I'd ever get summoned." He turned around to look at the three humans, surprising them by his lack of Rinnegan in his beady eyes. "Did one of you summon me?" All three blinked simultaneously at the small flaming lizard as Naruto put his hand up hesitantly.

"Yeah, I did." He shook his head and stared closer at the small lizard. "Wait, you're actually real?" Surprisingly the flaming lizard looked quite indignant about that despite its tiny body and young-sounding voice.

"Of course I'm real. What did you expect when you summoned me?" Naruto just chuckled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head.

"Sorry about that, I didn't think salamanders actually existed. Well, the fire-elemental salamanders that is, not the amphibians." Somewhere far away, farther than Naruto would ever travel in his lifetime, a young pink-haired boy wearing a scaled scarf sneezed, startling his blue cat companion.

"Pfft, you humans, always forgetting the past." The lizard sighed deeply, an amusing sight from such a little animal. "Well, if you wanna summon us again I recommended you talk to Kaa-san. She'd be angry if all her kids started vanishing suddenly when we haven't ever given out a contract." Suddenly the creature blinked, again an amusing sight for such a supposedly legendary creature. "How _did_ you summon me anyway?" Naruto chuckled, waving his hand dismissively at the little flame-dweller.

"Not really important, but as you're here do you mind warming up my friends?" The creature snorted indignantly again, exhaling a thin stream of flames that made Naruto nervous about letting it near either of the girls.

"What am I, a stove?" Suddenly though he was lifted up into the air as Shizuku picked him up, startling the poor salamander. Surprisingly to the miko-impersonator the flames running along his spine weren't hot, just pleasantly warm. "Whoa whoa whoa, what do you think you're doing lady?" It was about to rather violently breathe fire at the person stupid enough to pick up a fire-breathing animal before it suddenly found itself staring into Shizuku's wide glittering eyes.

"You're so cute!" If it was possible the small lizard took on a slightly darker hue in what was equivalent to a reptile blushing.

"Well I, uh, I suppose this one time it couldn't hur- hey!" It was suddenly rubbed along Shizuku's cheek in a strange facsimile of a hug which only seemed to darken its embarrassed red hue.

"So what's your name little guy?" The salamander might have protested indignantly at that comment but was too busy being embarrassed by Shizuku to properly notice.

"K-Kohonou." The group, now including the salamander perched rather happily on Shizuku's shoulder, carried on their way to Shimo no Kuni and soon enough had crossed the border. Like the country's name would suggest, the land of frost was incredibly cold. Snow blanketed the country in most places, tinging everything a shade of white. Shizuku was practically in awe when they reached the first village; all the roves were bathed in a pristine sheet of white while icicles seemed to hang from every overhang, glittering in the light from the lamps.

Naruto too was impressed however he didn't drop his usual expression to gawk like Shizuku did, neither did Fuu although it was for different reasons. Still, inside the green-haired girl was both wide-eyed and impressed, she had never seen snow before, it was never cold enough in Takigakure for it. Suddenly though Naruto seemed to notice something as they walked, apart from the streets being nearly empty from the cold.

"Hey, it's not raining." Time seemed to freeze for a moment for Shizuku as she just stopped right there in the middle of the street. She tentatively looked up only to confirm that it was not in fact raining; in fact it had not rained since they entered the country.

"W-What the...?" The violette was looking up at the starlit sky with awe, it was so rare she was allowed to glimpse the uncovered sky she had almost forgotten how beautiful it was. Fuu just looked around, she knew about Shizuku's condition, the girl had explained it to her when she had remarked about the constant downpour they seemed to be walking in before now.

"I suppose it is too cold." Shizuku just let out a happy squeal as she jumped about, nearly shaking Kohonou from his perch on her shoulder.

"I love it here! Can we stay forever?" She only got two very quick headshakes from Fuu and Naruto, especially from the green-haired Jinchuuriki who was currently shivering quite profoundly. Shizuku just let her head drop a little before bringing it up, her eyes were large and watering slightly with her lower lip jutted out in the epitome of cuteness. However she was miffed when Fuu stared her down quite evenly with one hand covering Naruto's eyes.

"No." Shizuku pouted again but it had no effect against the much more stoic Fuu so they continued on.

"Uhh Fuu, could you let go of my eyes? I might h-gah!" Naruto suddenly found himself on the ground, slightly dazed from bumping his head against the cold and hard ground. When he opened his eyes with a small wince he found himself looking into the rather startled face of another girl, and not one he knew. She had dark hair in a bob around her head with bangs that curved to her face but pulled into a high ponytail at the back. She also wore a headband with a strange flower-like design engraved on it; her captivating green eyes were glaring at him viciously.

"You!" She was suddenly on her feet, instantly in a fighting position with her arms drawn back into fists. Her eyes occasionally darted around to the two other girls looking at her strangely but most of the time they were squarely fixed on Naruto with a savage glare.

"Uhh sorry about that, I couldn't see where I was going." Naruto picked himself up sedately, using his shakujou to help, seemingly ignoring the obviously hostile Kunoichi in front of him.

"Shut up, you have to fight me now!" Naruto just blinked once with an almost amused expression as he brushed the snow from his robes.

"If this is about knocking into you, I'm sure we can come to something more peaceful." The Kunoichi only glared at him even harder, her hand already going for her kunai pouch as Fuu mirrored the action, willing to protect the boy who had saved her without question. Naruto just raised a hand letting her know to stop, the mint-haired girl was hesitant but she reluctantly moved her hand away from the pouch on her thigh.

"I don't care about that, you have those eyes so I must fight you for the honour of my village." Naruto just sighed wearily as he rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying to think of some way he could end this in the next few moments so they could find an inn or temple for the night.

"Look, my companions and I-" He was suddenly cut off as, almost faster than most could see, the Kunoichi launched a barrage of shuriken at him. Fuu and Shizuku let out simultaneous gasps while the Kunoichi had a victorious smirk. All of those died though the instant the shuriken simply stopped in the air about a foot from Naruto's face before harmlessly falling to the floor. Naruto was still tiredly rubbing his eyes, acting like it hadn't even happened.

"It's rude to interrupt somebody you know? Now what's this about my eyes and your village?" The Kunoichi did nothing but growl slightly as she readied a kunai in her hand, once again Naruto motioned for Fuu to back away when she looked like she was about to jump in. Without warning the Kunoichi rushed forward, obviously using Chakra-augmented movements as she struck out. Naruto aptly dodged to the left, straight into the path of her other fist.

In one sweeping motion he ducked back to an almost impossible angle, using Chakra to keep his feet planted firmly on the ground before bending back up, skirting to the side of the Kunoichi. She swerved on one foot, lashing out with a fist back-hand which the blonde re-directed calmly before doing the same to the leg she sent flying at her. Using the newfound leverage the older girl brought her other leg around, intent on taking Naruto's head. She might have succeeded if he hadn't suddenly ducked, letting her sail overhead to land gracefully back on her feet, still in her own Taijutsu stance. Naruto just sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, he was a little tired from all those summonings.

"Are you sure there is no way we can settle this without violence?" The Kunoichi just shot him a murderous glare as she reeled her arm back before launching herself forward.

"Kouha Reppuuken!" Naruto immediately saw the thin coat of wind Chakra coating her outstretched fist; however instead of blocking or dodging he simply moved to one side quickly while grabbing her hand. Immediately it was drained of Chakra, including the dangerous layer around her hand; the girl jumped back, looking at her hand incredulously before glaring at the young monk.

"I'll take that as a no then." The young blonde ran a hand through his hair as he dodged the next few blows, actually finding her attack style rather interesting, if not slightly repetitive. He was especially intrigued with the way she coated certain areas of her body with wind Chakra like her fist or feet, speaking of which.

"Kouha Sekaigiri!" He swiftly moved out of the way of a vicious Chakra-laced axe kick that might have split his entire body in half. The result was the girl slamming her heel into the ground, shattering it and producing a large cloud of dust. She emerged from the cloud, still sporting her enraged look while Naruto looked on, still smiling even if it was more tired than serene at this point.

"Fight me back dammit! Don't insult me!" Naruto put a hand to his forehead for a moment before looking back, his eyes were serious and the smile was gone; for a moment it made the Kunoichi falter.

"Fine then, if it will let us leave in peace." With that he simply raised his hand palm up and surged Chakra through the limb, his eyes focusing in on the Kunoichi. "Fuhen Shichou" Suddenly the girl found she could not move forward, instead she began to float in the air, suspended as if by marionette strings. She could only flail uselessly, the gravity around her being reduced to nothing with only the minuscule air resistance allowing her to twist and turn her body.

"What did you do to me? Put me down right now and finish this fight!" Naruto sighed as he walked forward, the jingling of his shakujou sounding strangely ominous as he approached.

"That's what I'm doing." With that he gently prodded the girl with the long staff, immediately causing her body to seize up as her Chakra flow simply stopped. A second later he cancelled his other technique and the girl dropped out of the air, straight into Naruto's arms before he quickly set her on the ground. "That paralysis should wear off in about ten minutes, until then why don't you explain just what you are doing?" The Kunoichi glared at him angrily as she struggled against invisible bonds, her muscles refusing her brain's signals.

"Dammit let me go!" Naruto just sighed as he looked around, quickly spotting an inn that had vacancies; it would put a large dent in his ryo pouch but it would have to do.

"Alright, you're coming with us. We can settle this inside where it's warmer." With that he swiftly lifted the older Kunoichi onto his shoulder, setting off for the inn. It would be surprising to any passersby to see a young boy of perhaps eleven or twelve hoisting a teenage girl a few years older than him and definitely taller, seemingly without effort. Especially considering the two girls walking behind him as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

None of them noticed the single set of yellow eyes with bar-like pupils watching from the shadows of a nearby building before they disappeared in a burst of smoke.

* * *

"Okay, so we'll start off with names I guess. I'm Naruto Uzumaki, that's Shizuku over there and she's Fuu." He motioned to each girl as he said their names before looking at the Kunoichi expectantly. Strangely, after they had gotten a room and he had set her on the bed she had become somewhat sullen; her eyes even had an air of defeat. Right now she was sitting back against the headboard with her knees drawn up against her chest, glaring at the trio half-heartedly.

Naruto took the opportunity to get a better look at the girl, now that she wasn't trying to kill him. She was a few years older than him, maybe fourteen or fifteen, and already possessed the air of a distinguished Kunoichi, even if her pride seemed a little dented. She wore a tight-fitting black bodysuit that left her right arm and left shoulder bare that was tied around the middle by a lighter strip of cloth. She wore the traditional kunai pouch as well as a shoulder guard but by far the most noticeable feature of the outfit was the window cut in the chest showing off her already impressive developing bust.

"Shut up." It came out as barely a whisper from behind her knees, her hair falling over her eyes despite the forehead protector.

"Look, if we don't talk then how are we supposed to get this whole mess straightened out?" Again the Kunoichi gave him a cold glare with her emerald orbs.

"Shut up!" This time it was anything but quiet, she all but shouted it out in anger before her head dipped, tears rolling down her face as her hands trembled from where they were wrapped around her knees. "I don't want this anymore than you do!" At that Naruto just sighed with a look of utter confusion, he was lost now.

"What are you talking about?" The girl looked up again, tears beginning to dry as her pride took, hold, preventing her from showing weakness in a situation like this, even though it was a little late.

"You defeated me in fair and single combat. By the laws of Nadeshiko Village you are to become my husband." You could literally hear a pin drop in the room as the girl was suddenly met by three identical looks of shock and incredulity.

"WHAT?!" Amazingly the cry was simultaneous as well, although this time it was only Naruto and, surprisingly, Fuu. They shared a quick look between them before returning to the Kunoichi currently wiping away her tears. "I-I'm supposed to become your what?" The girl huffed indignantly as she cleared the last of the streaks down her face.

"I am affronted as much as you are, to have to marry a bearer of the accursed Rinnegan. It's the highest dishonour I could imagine." Naruto blinked at that, very nearly missing what she said in the shock over this new situation.

"Wait, you said something about my eyes earlier. Just what does this have to do with the Rinnegan?" The girl snarled in anger as her fists tightened to the point her knuckles turned white.

"It has everything to do with those damn eyes! Them and the twice-cursed sage who bore them before you." Again Naruto blinked in confusion before falling back into a chair, rubbing his eyes; he was tired dammit! This was the last thing he wanted to be dealing with.

"Alright, you better start at the beginning if any of this is going to make sense." The girl glared at him for his dismissive tone but nodded firmly anyway.

"I suppose I could do as much for my future husband." She practically ground it out through clenched teeth which elicited a rare glare from the blonde himself.

"Don't call me that." The Kunoichi returned the stare full-force until she looked away, when Naruto wanted to be he could be quite intimidating despite his lacking in stature.

"Very well, you should know I am Shizuka Hitohana, heir to the royal family in Nadeshiko Village. We are a people of fierce warriors, trained from the moment we could walk to be the fiercest fighters in the Elemental Nations. We are also mostly composed of women, thanks to the Sage." At Naruto's blank look where she expected some kind of guilt she sneered before continuing. "The legend goes that the Nadeshiko tribe were a band of powerful mercenaries in the times of the Sage. They once crossed paths and it led to the most powerful member of the tribe challenging the Sage to a duel." She grimaced at that, obviously not enjoying the next part of the story.

"Apparently the Sage refused, much like you did to me." She shot him a quick glare that went unanswered. "Finally though the duel happened, only to end in the warriors quick and humiliating defeat at the Sage's hands." Again another glare sent Naruto's way. "However when the Sage turned his back the warrior pulled out a blade, hoping to catch the man off guard only for the Sage to catch the blade in his bare hand. The blade was snapped in half and held at our warrior's neck only for the Sage to discard the weapon in disgust." She looked down again; Naruto couldn't tell if she was ashamed for her ancestor or saddened by what came next.

"The Sage was said to have placed a curse of sorts on all Nadeshiko women, that they could only ever bear daughters for the remainder of their days in hopes it would quell their bloodthirsty ways. However the tribe began to die out with no males to continue the line. Eventually a law was passed that if a Nadeshiko woman was ever beaten in fair combat the man would be taken as a husband. In this way we have managed to stay alive, it is the only way." She glared at Naruto again to which he simply sighed deeply.

"And that it is why it is my job as a proud Nadeshiko woman to find and destroy anybody bearing those cursed eyes." She earned glares from the two girls for that, especially Fuu who since the announcement Naruto would be taken as her husband had been incredibly cold. Naruto finally raised his head from his palm, looking at Shizuka dead in the eyes, almost making her flinch from the steely violet orbs.

"That's... the stupidest thing I have ever heard."

* * *

A certain spiky white-haired pervert was joyfully giggling as he peered through a small telescope that peeked over the edge of a hot spring. Jiraiya truly loved Yu no Kuni, it was his favourite place for gathering vital 'research'.

"That's right honey, complete gold!" He quietly giggled to himself before his viewing was rudely interrupted by a small poof of smoke. He blinked once before putting down the telescope and looking at the small toad that had appeared by his feet.

"Jiraiya-sama." The tiny toad spoke with a surprisingly deep voice which just sounded strange from a creature that small.

"Huh? Gamasupai? What are you doing here? I asked you to keep an eye on that blonde kid to look for signs he is Minato's boy." The toad nodded quickly with a look of urgency.

"I know, but you have a standing order with all toads to report directly to you if we run into any Kunoichi from Nadeshiko Village." The great toad sage paled slightly at that; he didn't have the best reputation in that village and he still had yet to settle with their leader because he lacked an apprentice; not that he planned on taking one any time soon. Once he realised the situation though he sighed as he placed his head in his hand.

"No Gamasupai, only if the Kunoichi was near me. Where did you spot her?" The toad look up proudly, he was always glad to share information with his summoner; it was his job as an infiltration toad.

"Shimo no Kuni." Jiraiya sighed again with a look of exasperation.

"And where are we now?" The toad took a quick look around, used to most environments due to its extensive work spying for Jiraiya.

"Yu no Kuni." Suddenly it frowned as Jiraiya just nodded with irritation.

"And how do you plan on getting back to Shimo no Kuni to continue spying on the kid?" The toad looked down ashamedly at that.

"Ah, I had not considered that." Jiraiya just sighed; he loved the toads, but sometimes they could be denser than an Iwa Shinobi.

"Ah well, I'm sure I'll run into him sooner or later, especially if it's Naruto. If he's out here I'm sure it's for a good reason." His words were full of confidence but internally was a different story. He was worried for his godson but he could hardly drop what he was doing, currently looking into Orochimaru's possible activities in the land of hot water. He gave both an external and internal sigh, wondering just what was going on if Naruto was just wandering around the Elemental Nations.


	19. Storm XI

**Digi doesn't own that asshole Naruto, not that I care! I'll kill them both and sacrifice them to Jashin-sama!**

* * *

**Sage**

_"Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward." - Vernon Law_

* * *

"What?! How dare you mock our culture and traditions!?" At this point the only thing keeping Shizuka from lashing out at Naruto violently was the lingering effects of the paralysis he had used on her. That, and the fact he had previously beaten her with surprisingly little effort somewhat tempered her anger. Naruto barely looked affected by her seething rage, in fact it almost looked like he was about to fall off the seat from sleepiness.

"Look, all I'm saying is that I don't want this and you obviously don't want this, so why don't you just leave and pretend you never even saw me in the first place? Who would know otherwise?" If anything Shizuka looked even more indignant about that, not that Naruto believed that was possible right now with her face turning a virulent scarlet and multiple tick marks appeared at her temple.

"I may not want this but I am a proud Kunoichi of Nadeshiko Village, heir to the main line. If I don't follow and uphold our traditions then what kind of example does that set?" Naruto sighed simply, running and hand through his hair as he felt his eyelids begin to droop; Shizuku and Fuu weren't looking much better; none of them were exactly fresh even if Fuu was hiding it better.

"Uhh, a good one for standing up to obviously outdated and idiotic rules?" Shizuka's eye merely twitched violently.

"Keep insulting my village's traditions and husband or not, I will make sure your head ends up on a pike somewhere." Naruto narrowed his eyes, some alertness returning; he didn't really want to fall asleep around this girl.

"Wow, you'll be a fine leader someday if this is how you negotiate. I'm starting to think I should have just lost so none of this would have happened." Shizuka finally seemed to agree with something the blonde said as she crossed her arms under her already impressive chest and nodded stubbornly.

"Yes, you would be dead and I would still have my freedom." Naruto nodded for a moment before pausing, shaking his head quickly and staring at Shizuka incredulously for a moment.

"Wait a second, let me get this straight... my options were win and become your very much unwilling husband, or lose and die?" Shizuka just nodded, still irritated given her expression and upturned sneer. "What kind of choice is that!?" Shizuka, always faithful to her bit, merely frowned at him.

"It is the greatest honour to become a Nadeshiko Kunoichi's mate. It means we acknowledge you as the stronger warrior. If you lose it means you are simply too weak to be a warrior of any value and you may try again in the next life." Naruto blinked once, then twice before hanging his head with an audibly irritated sigh. He had never met somebody besides Sora who could get under his skin like this; maybe she was destined to be his wife? No... back on track.

"Are you even listening to yourself right now? Do you have any idea how stupidly barbaric that sounds?" Of course this only made the Kunoichi quiver in rage as her glare intensified. "What about asking the guy? Or at least warning him of the consequences beforehand?!" Finally Naruto saw a different emotion to anger appear on the Nadeshiko Kunoichi's face, hesitation.

"I uh, I was supposed to." She looked down, wincing at how feeble her own words sounded and at her own mistake. "But I saw your Rinnegan and, I uh, I acted rashly." Naruto's eyes softened at the girl who looked anything but the proud Kunoichi she had been moments before.

"Look, maybe if we go to your village we can get all of this straightened out." The girl looked up, blinking back the single tear that had been gathering in the corner of her eye.

"What's stopping me from just trapping you there when we arrive?" Naruto just blinked and stared at the girl with a completely deadpan expression.

"Once again, I believe you will become an excellent negotiator." Shizuka glared at him but by now it was half-hearted at best, there was none of the previous venom.

"Where is your village anyway?" This time it was Fuu who spoke, although her tone was surprisingly cold and she was staring rather intently at the Nadeshiko Kunoichi both with distrust and dislike. Shizuka just looked around, her eyes spelling only apathy for the two girls who weren't her husband-to-be.

"To the east, in the warmer part of the country." Naruto just ran a hand through his hair as he stood; looking out the window to see snow had begun to fall outside.

"Alright, we were heading towards Kaminari no Kuni anyway. I suppose we can make a small detour just so we can get this all dealt with quickly. For now though we should get some rest, I don't think we would make the journey as we are now." Quick as a flash despite his lethargic limbs Naruto brought his shakujou around, lightly tapping Shizuka just above her breasts, once again freezing the girl as her Chakra stopped flowing.

"Hey, what are you doing now?" Naruto just waved her off as he collapsed backwards onto the uncomfortably small couch in the room, not noticing the slightly disappointed look on Fuu's face.

"Insurance, to make sure you don't kidnap me during the night or something. Now get some sleep, it should wear off before we leave tomorrow." Shizuka's eye twitched again as a whole new wave of irritation overcame her.

"Should?" Naruto shrugged lazily, his eyes already closed as he shuffled into a more uncomfortable position.

"I haven't quite perfected it yet. It'll be anywhere between seven to twelve hours, tops." With that his head dipped as he fell into a blissful sleep, his mouth sliding into a contented grin.

* * *

Jiraiya was walking steadily down a small unkempt road that lead to Ta no Kuni, his Geta sandals making recognisable clicks against the earth. He had a small frown on his face as he ran through the events from a few days ago, thinking about that young blonde he had run into.

'_If that was Naruto, then what are you thinking Sensei? I was alright with letting him stay at the temple, at least he would be safe there without the hatred of the village, but just letting him wander around? What's going on?' _His thoughts were interrupted by a small puff of smoke which cleared to reveal possibly the smallest toad that he could summon, around the size of his thumb.

"Gamadenrei." The small toad gave a short bow which looked surprisingly normal to the old sage; he was spending too much time with his summons lately. "What's the word? Did you find Naruto at the temple?" The tiny amphibian looked down with a small frown and Jiraiya found himself predicting what he was about to say.

"I'm sorry Jiraiya-sama, I could not get into the temple. They would not admit me without your presence and I could not circumvent the barrier. I was unable to find out if Naruto was still there or not." Jiraiya just sighed thoughtfully as he handed the small toad a crumb-sized chunk of chocolate.

"It's alright, that seal is one of the strongest in Hi no Kuni, it would take an S-ranked Shinobi to break through it at least. I can't exactly go all the way there myself though and Gamasupai lost their trail. One of My Shadow clones wouldn't make the journey either, I don't have the Chakra to maintain one for that long." He grunted in irritation, fearing for his godson's safety if it really was him wandering around the nations. The more he thought about it the more certain he was that the little whiskered Minato look-alike was the real deal.

"I'll have to think on this, you can go now Gamadenrei." The toad gave a small courteous nod before disappearing into smoke, leaving a thoughtful Jiraiya to continue on the path towards Ta no Kuni where he had heard rumours of strange activities lately.

* * *

For a second time in a week Naruto awoke with the earthy scent he was now perfectly familiar with. However he once again couldn't find it in him to be even a little irritated at the green-haired girl contentedly snuggled in his arms. When he stirred though Fuu shifted awkwardly on the small couch to look at him with a small smile that he hadn't seen on her face before. He faltered in what he was about to say, the content, happy look on Fuu's face had him at a loss as he just stared for a moment.

"Good morning Naruto-san." The blonde sighed tiredly, a small smile of his own appeared against his better judgement.

"Fuu, why are you sleeping next to me again?" Fuu's smile didn't disappear for a moment which made Naruto... glad? Happy? He wasn't sure but it was definitely a nice feeling; he didn't want Fuu to go back to that emotionless persona she had been wearing since leaving Taki.

"Shizuka took up one of the beds and I allowed Shizuku to take the other, I hope you don't mind." For once the girl actually seemed... confused? Abashed? Hopeful? As much as Naruto wanted to convince himself or others otherwise, he was not actually all that good at understanding people. Sure he could read body language and interpret motives but finer emotions? No, a stunted social childhood saw to it that he was ill-equipped when it came to figuring people out.

"I sense there is something more than that." At that Fuu looked away slightly sheepishly, a hint of a blush appearing over the bridge of her nose.

"Naruto-san is very warm and..." She looked back up, startling Naruto with how vibrant her previously dull orange eyes had become. He hadn't really noticed before but there was something about her eyes that just drew him in. Maybe it was because they were his favourite colour or perhaps because he saw a bit of himself in those eyes that had known so much pain. "...when I slept with Naruto-san before, I did not wake up early." She missed Naruto's slight reddening at the way she phrased her words.

"Um okay, but try not to make it a habit, okay?" He tried to appear comforting but it came off far more awkward than he would care to admit. Fuu just looked down sheepishly, yet there was something more, just a hint of happiness that Naruto hadn't completely denied her sharing his bed again. She couldn't fully explain it herself but all she knew was that for the first time in her memorable life she had not awoken at her 'approved' time, and that was while she had Naruto cuddling her into his warm body. Not to mention it had been one of the best and most comfortable sleeps in her life.

A few hours later and the group, plus an irate but at least cooperative Shizuka, were making their way steadily down a long road that cut through the small country. It had continued to snow through the morning so Naruto had re-summoned Konohou to keep Shizuku warm. Fuu was too stubborn to admit she was cold while Shizuka was much more acclimatised to the weather despite her revealing bodysuit which didn't look very adapted to the cold.

Shizuka had expressed interest in Konohou, especially when she found out Naruto did not possess any sort of contract to summon him. However Naruto honestly did not have much to tell her besides it was a recently discovered ability he didn't know a lot about. She had gone back to ignoring the entire group after that, preferring to hang back. Naruto still kept an eye on her though to make sure she didn't try anything in the form of a shadow clone trailing the group from the trees to one side of the road. At some point Fuu moved over to his side while Shizuku was busy chatting with the small reptile on her shoulder.

"Why are we going along with this? Would it not be simpler to simply get away from Shizuka, you have already proven your capacity to defeat her." Naruto just sighed, wondering how he should phrase this; as he thought he noticed Fuu inch closer to him, smiling contentedly as she was warmed by the excess fire Chakra radiating from his body.

"I've probably already made enemies out of both Sunagakure and Takigakure and as this encounter has show us, my eyes are going to probably cause me more problems in the future." He looked back at Shizuka who was angrily glaring at the ground as she walked, seemingly uncaring of the group save for the occasional glare sent their way. "I don't need more enemies than necessary, especially when it's a group of highly trained and angry Kunoichi." He shivered for a moment at that; some kind of in-built male instinct that warned him to be cautious of enraged females.

"Plus, this girl recognised my eyes almost immediately; they might have more information on the sage, like his abilities or even where some of his possessions are." He looked ahead, absently tracking a single falling snowflake, lazily drifting through the whitened sky on an almost non-existent breeze. "It's an opportunity I can't afford to miss. There's too much I don't know about my eyes, information that might one day save somebody precious to me." He smiled at Fuu, enjoying the slight red that permeated her chocolate skin.

"And what if the village is not understanding and forces you to go through with this engagement?" Naruto just chuckled as he waved her concerns away with a single hand, although the doubt still niggled at the back of his mind.

"Ah, you know me, I'll just leave if it comes to that. We'll see if they try and stop me." Fuu nodded slowly but didn't look too sure; however Naruto noticed with some amusement she didn't leave his warming aura as they walked.

* * *

"And there it is, Nadeshiko Village." There was no mistaking the pride lacing Shizuka's voice as she pointed out the village of her birth. Naruto had to admit it was an impressive sight, built like a fortress spanning three forested plateaus that stood out against the flatland surrounding it. The buildings themselves looked to be very traditional with pagoda roofs and high arching bridges connecting the three hills.

"Nice." Shizuku whistled appreciatively at the sight, she thought it was beautiful; then again her opinions were slightly skewed by the indomitable good mood she had been in ever since entering the country. Shizuka just huffed indignantly, she thought her village deserved a whole lot better than just 'nice'.

"Alright then, lead the way." This time it was Naruto who spoke, earning yet another glare, one of hundreds, from Shizuka before she looked away haughtily and walked on, this time leading the group. It only took another few minutes to reach the tall gate leading up to the first hill where they were met by a tall woman wearing a long skirt cut open at the front to reveal red shorts and bandaged legs. Her arms were bare while her torso and impressive bust were covered by a plain red vest held by a yellow cloth around the waist. She had stern but still decidedly feminine features with spiked back dark hair and deep red lipstick.

"Ah, Tokiwa-sempai." Naruto looked around at Shizuka, surprised at her suddenly submissive and small voice as she looked up at the tall and definitely unamused woman before them. The woman in question just let her steady gaze roam over the small group, lingering on Naruto with narrowed eyes for a moment. Naruto had taken the initiative to return his face to its normal serene smile, squinted eyes included, so that his Rinnegan would not be recognised.

"Shizuka-sama, your mother was very worried about you. It was unwise to leave the village unescorted." The previously proud and unwavering Kunoichi looked down like a child being berated, which Naruto supposed she was in a way. "Now who are your companions?" Shizuka looked up with her mouth open but after making eye contact with the older woman her head dropped down dejectedly.

"The blonde is Naruto, he defeated me in combat." The woman just raised an eyebrow; Shizuka was one of the most promising up-and-coming Kunoichi in the village while the boy looked to be barely twelve.

"I see." If anything Shizuka's head dropped even further in shame; the woman's tone was cold and indifferent but her eyes were now studying every inch of the blonde monk intently. It actually made Naruto a little uncomfortable to have such a beautiful woman stare at him with such unconcealed interest. "I would very much like to hear how somebody so young defeated one of the villages most promising Kunoichi." Naruto chuckled sheepishly at that while rubbing the back of his head. "However right now we should go and see your mother and tell her about... this." Naruto did not particularly like the sound of that pause.

Their walk through the village was uncomfortable, to say the least. Naruto couldn't help but noticed that almost everybody he saw was a woman, only catching sight of the occasional man. When people saw him walking next to the heiress to the main family there were many whispers, not particularly well hidden either. To his annoyance most were about whether Shizuka had finally managed to find a husband, and of course the following whispers about him.

Finally though they made it through the village, all the way to the third plateau which seemed to be for the express purpose of housing the main family's home. It was an enormous building, towering above them with ornate pagoda-styles roofs stacked on top of one another. Other than that it just seemed to be a traditional, if not very large, wooden house with many statues and other fineries dotted about. Tokiwa made quick work guiding them through the winding corridors until the entered a darkened room, lit by candles.

There wasn't much in the room in contrast to the more decadent exterior, just a few pieces of furniture and a large bed. Lying in the comfortable-looking bed was an old woman who, despite her grey hair and slight wrinkles, still possessed an elegant beauty about her that told she was incredibly striking in her youth. Naruto could immediately tell she was the leader of the village, she had the same feel about her as he remembered the Hokage having.

"Ah Shizuka my child, I was worried about you." The girl just bowed her head lightly in respect; the blonde could tell the two did not have the ideal mother-daughter relationship.

"Kaa-san." The woman sighed lightly with a melancholic smile; obviously the relationship had been strained for some time.

"Must you be so formal Shizuka?" She didn't get a response so she turned her head to look at the rest of the assembled group, especially Naruto; once again the blonde was made uncomfortable as her gaze roamed his body, finishing with an approving nod and a knowing smile. "And who are you young man?" If Fuu and Shizuku were annoyed at being blatantly ignored then they didn't show it; Fuu was staring at the whole scene coldly while Shizuku was admiring the various ornate pieces of furniture.

"I-" He was cut off as Tokiwa placed a hand in front of his mouth, effectively silencing him.

"He defeated your daughter Hissori-sama." The older woman merely raised an amused eyebrow as she looked between the two; Naruto maintained his serene air while Shizuka mumbled something unintelligible.

"It that so? I thought it would be many more years before I finally saw my daughter find a husband capable of besting her, and one so young too." At that point Naruto ducked under Tokiwa's hand, smiling politely at the leader of the village.

"I think there's been some misunderstanding here, I had no idea about the rules regarding your people when I defeated Shizuka." The girl in question nodded quickly, hopeful for a way out of the engagement.

"Yes, I can't marry him! He bears the Rinnegan!" The entire room froze for a moment as Naruto tilted his head into a wince; he had been hoping to avoid that bit of information. Soon he found both Tokiwa and Hissori's gaze firmly on him, specifically his narrowed eyes.

"Is this true?" Naruto chuckled sheepishly at the older woman as he took a step backwards, only to be blocked by Tokiwa.

"Well, it isn't not true." He chuckled again but this time more nervously, reluctantly opening his eyes to the small gasp of the village's leader.

"So the legends held some truth, in all honesty I never thought I might see the legendary Doujutsu in my lifetime." The old woman stared intently into Naruto's violet orbs for a moment before smiling in a way only older women could do; it looked harmless enough but it promised pain should their will be gone against. "Well no matter, the village law is clear regardless, you bested my daughter in fair and equitable combat, she is now your bride." Naruto blinked once as his hand shifted on his shakujou, frowning.

"Look, I really don't have time for this. Neither I nor your daughter want any part in this marriage, it would work out much better for everybody if you were to just let us leave peacefully." Again the old woman just stared at the blonde in amusement while Tokiwa looked on impassively, although a hint of irritation at the way Naruto was speaking to her leader entered her eyes.

"That almost sounds like a threat boy." Naruto's gaze remained even so the older woman turned to her daughter, looking at her with some interest. "Is this true Shizuka? Do you not wish for this marriage despite what the village laws say?" Naruto sighed, once the woman saw that her daughter was against it they could get this mess straightened out. All eyes turned to the now quiet Shizuka who had her head bowed with her hands clasped together in front of her.

"No Kaa-san, I accept the marriage as our traditions dictate." Naruto just gawked at the girl but didn't have time to comment further as she swiftly walked out of the room, almost breaking into a run. The room was silent for a moment before Naruto made off after her, this time without being interrupted by Tokiwa. Hissori merely chuckled in her own amusement as she watched them go, smiling to herself as she was reminded of her time with Shizuka's father.

* * *

Shizuka strode angrily through the village, uncaring of where she went as long as it was away from her mother. Tears were percolating at the edges of her vision but she refused to cry, blinking them back. It was her fault, her and the damn village's traditions; and now she didn't even get the chance to change them as leader of the village; it was too late.

"Shizuka!" The happy call nearly broke her heart; there was only one person it could belong to.

"Sagiri." Sure enough it was a tall boy around her age with long brown hair tied up into a pony tail wearing a simple brown shirt and tan pants. He rushed over, a saddened but hopeful look in his eye as he took her hand, causing Shizuka's heart to clench again.

"It's not true is it Shizuka? The rumours about you returning to the village with a boy?" Shizuka wanted to say something then, to cry out that it wasn't true, to say anything; however all she could do was hang her head in defeat. That was all the boy needed to know as his grip on her hands tightened slightly. "I see." He hung his head a little, enjoying the brief contact with the girl he loved while he could. "I can't believe it finally happened, you succumbed to the village's rules." Shizuka looked up, the tears finally falling freely to stain her flawless skin.

"It's not my fault Sagiri. If only-" Sagiri suddenly broke away from her, looking down at the ground while his fists trembled.

"If nothing Shizuka! I love you, and I thought you loved me!" The Kunoichi could only stand there, tears streaming down her face even if she didn't sob out loud. "We were supposed to change things, to finally break away from these rules, but now-" He was cut off as a third voice cut into the conversation in the form of a blonde monk running over.

"Hey Shizuka!" Sagiri took one look at the young man approaching before glancing back to see Shizuka looking away ashamedly. He turned, staring down the shorter boy with a mix between anger and sadness.

"So you're the one who defeated Shizuka." Sagiri was no fool, he was a simple merchant; if this boy was able to defeat Shizuka he could crush Sagiri with little effort. "You better treat her well." And with that the older boy strode off, his fists still clenched at his sides. Naruto just looked between the crying Kunoichi and the retreating merchant in confusion.

"Who was that?" Shizuka just snarled at him angrily before running off after the boy, leaving behind a confused and slightly frustrated Naruto. "This whole village is crazy!"

* * *

"Sagiri wait!" Shizuku chased after the boy, managing to catch up to him a little ways out from the village itself. She would have caught up sooner but she had walked slower than she should, trying to come up with something, anything to say to the boy she loved. Of course anything she might have prepared slipped away the moment Sagiri turned around; the look in his eye, of heartbreak and betrayal, it was almost too much for her to bear.

"Please Shizuka, I think I just need to be alone right now." Shizuka grabbed his hand as he turned, desperate for him to understand; unfortunately before she could say anything a harsh and cruel laughter echoed from the surrounding trees. Instantly Shizuka was on guard, a fist drawn back as she glanced around the area, trying to pick up signs of where the voice came from.

"Well, looky here Marui, if it isn't one of those Nadeshiko chicks." A man dropped down from the darkness the tree canopy provided, his dark skin and cloud headband clearly marking him as a Kumo ninja. The slash going through the symbol of the village though showed the Kunoichi he had gone rogue.

"I think you're right Luroi. I heard if you beat one of them they have to marry you or some shit like that." Another man dropped from the other side of the pair, this one also bearing the slashed forehead protector of Kumogakure. His skin was lighter and he had blonde hair that ran down his back messily; it was clear the two had only recently escaped from the village. It was that, or they really were stupid enough to stay in the country that bordered Kaminari no Kuni. From the way they were leering at her, despite probably being twice her age, Shizuka hoped it was the latter.

"Shouldn't be too hard, after that Samui girl shot you down I would think you'd be itching for a girl by now." The dark-skinned man grinned perversely while his companion shot him an irritated look.

"As if, that bitch just couldn't handle me, but enough bickering. You kill the little cowering shit, I'll deal with the girl." At that Shizuka rushed forward to separate the blonde man's head from his shoulders, only to immediately leap back to deflect a kunai that would have surely killed Sagiri.

"Aw, do you see that Marui? She's protecting her little friend. Listen up girl, maybe if you come with us quietly, we'll let the little coward go." Shizuka said nothing, just glared at the two men as she stood in front of Sagiri. The merchant was just standing there, petrified by the killing intent the two men were throwing off; luckily Shizuka was unaffected.

"Hmm, she's not intimidated at all, maybe we need to give her some incentive." Immediately the two men rushed at her, she was able to block the first man's attack but it was only a ploy. When the men dived back from one of her wind Chakra-laced kicks, Luroi had Sagiri under one arm, Kunai pointed directly at his neck. Shizuka froze, staring wide-eyed at the weapon glinting cruelly just inches from her love's jugular.

"No! Please let him go I'll do anything!" Marui grinned viciously, his slightly elongated canines poking out from his upper lip like a wolf that had finally made its prey submit.

"Now that's what we like to hear." His grin took on a more menacing vibe as he moved the kunai so it was just touching the boy's neck; if Sagiri gulped it would probably cut him. "Unfortunately you still have a bit more fire than I like in a girl, I'll have to fix that." Shizuka could do nothing as the man brought the kunai up only to swing it back down in a clean arc. However everybody blinked when the kunai met nothing but air, the merchant disappearing in a puff of smoke before it could make contact.

"You know, I thought Shinobi had at least a shred of honour, but taking an innocent hostage and killing them just to break somebody's will? That's too far." Everybody looked around to see a young blonde with spiky hair, his eyes closed and lips turned into a humourless smile. Sagiri was standing next to him with smoke dissipating from his body as the merchant looked round, confused and a little nauseous.

"Hey, who the fuck are you shrimp?" Naruto just chuckled coldly as he raised a hand, quickly clenching it into a fist as the two missing-nin collapsed under their own exponentially increased weight.

"Kenkyona Jibun." Naruto didn't let up on the extreme levels of gravity until he was absolutely sure the two men were unconscious. He sighed as he returned the area to normal, running a hand through his hair as he looked around as Shizuka and Sagiri, who looked considerably better now that the air wasn't laced with killing intent.

"I think we should all go back to the village." Shizuka seemed to ignore him as she rushed straight to Sagiri, practically tackling him to the floor in a crushing hug. She began to weep into his chest openly as the merchant could only lie there and take it, unable to even squirm in the girl's vice-like grip.

"I'm so sorry, I nearly lost you." She mumbled more words but they were muffled by Sagiri's chest. Naruto just smiled at the scene, he was incredibly confused still but it was touching all the same.

* * *

"Thank you Naruto." The blonde just tipped his head slightly with a smile.

"It's no problem; I was just in the right place at the right time anyway." He and his two companions, plus Shizuka, Sagiri, and Hissori were all standing at the gate to Nadeshiko Village. Shizuka had her arm wrapped around Sagiri, she hadn't let go of him since coming back to the village.

"No, you helped me realise that I don't want to live my life without Sagiri. If you had never come along, I might not only have lost him, but I might never have had him in the first place." Naruto just gave a kindly smile as he looked towards Hissori a little expectantly, waiting for what she might have to say on the matter. However the older woman just gave him a motherly smile before chuckling into her sleeve mischievously.

"Oh, you didn't actually expect me to make my daughter join in a loveless marriage did you? I might have the best interests of this village at heart but I am not heartless. Anyway, you saved my daughter from a terrible fate, for that you have my, and my village's thanks." Naruto just gave another small nod; honestly he just wanted to get away from the strange village, touching moments or not.

"I'm glad to help." Hissori smiled again before coughing lightly into her sleeve; Naruto was surprised she had made it out of her bed. It was clear that at one time she had been a magnificent Kunoichi but right now she seemed incredibly ill and frail.

"I want you to have something young monk." She reached into a pouch, withdrawing a very old-looking headband with a faded black cloth. The metal plate itself had no markings but it was done in the very traditional Shinobi manner from the warring period with two horn-like spikes emerging from the metal. "This used to be a sign of the greatest male warriors Nadeshiko had to offer before the Sage came along, I want you to have it." Naruto just took the relic with wide-eyes, it was most likely incredibly valuable; he felt as though he might break it just by touching it.

"Thank you, I'm honoured." He looked up with a genuine smile as he fastened the cloth around his head, mostly hidden by his unruly hair except at the front. "I know I can't speak from my predassesor's actions but if I ever understand these eyes enough, I promise I will come back and try to undo what it was he did to your people." The elderly woman just smiled sagely as she patted the blonde on the back.

"Then you have my even greater thanks." Naruto grinned as he and his companions made to leave, waving at the small group of Nadeshiko villagers as they went. The air was light as they made their way along the well-kept road; it was a warming departure. Naruto just chuckled to himself as they walked, Fuu caught it and looked at him curiously.

"Well, we didn't have to fight our way out in the end." Fuu just nodded with a small smirk of her own appearing, if only slightly.

"Yes, otherwise you might have had to marry everybody in the village." Naruto froze, paling at the thought of all those women, unknowingly dismissing a dream most men had at some point in their lives.

"Hey! Don't even joke about that!"


	20. Lightning I

**Digi does not own Naruto; the privilege of destroying him to complete project Tsuki no Me by sacrificing the Kyuubi belongs to me, the rest to Kishimoto**

* * *

**Sage**

**Book IV: Lightning**

_"A person that learns from their mistakes is smart. A person that learns from other people's mistakes is smarter." – Proverb_

* * *

"You're lost again, aren't you?" Even with the heavy mist surrounding the group it was clear Fuu was the one speaking, her deadpan tone cutting through the fog like an overly sarcastic knife.

"I'm not lost! And don't say again like it's happened before, we were not lost. I just happened to be reading the map wrong." Naruto shot Fuu an annoyed look before returning his attention to the path in front of him; if he took his attention away it was quite likely they would stray off the road.

"By wrong, do you mean upside down?" This time it was Shizuku at the receiving end of Naruto's agitated glare; not that anybody could tell when seeing even a few feet in front of them was impossible.

"It was an honest mistake! I've never been to Kaminari no Kuni before." Shizuku just snickered into her baggy sleeves making Naruto wonder how she was dealing with the cold with such thin clothing.

"Yeah and if this keeps up I'll start to think we still aren't." This time Naruto found he didn't have the energy for a scathing retort, he just settled for pranking Fuu at a later date. He sighed wearily into his scarf, tilting his sugegasa back to peer up at the sky; it was useless though, the heavy water vapour in the air made it impossible to even see where the sun was.

"Come on, Konoha is just in a forest! It even has roads leading to it! Why do all the other Hidden Villages have to take their names so seriously? Suna is in the middle of the desert, Taki is nearly impossible to find unless you're lead there and Kumo is hidden so high in the mountains you either get lost in the mountains or pass out from the thin air!" After a few seconds of silence he realised he was ranting to deaf ears and slumped forward dejectedly; briefly he wondered what had happened to his wise monk persona.

"Don't worry Naruto, the merchants have to get there somehow. We'll find Kumogakure eventually." Naruto smiled appreciatively at Shizuku as she rested her hand on his shoulder; or at least he thought it was her.

"Actually, Kumogakure is a mostly militant Hidden Village. All merchant and domestic requirements are met in other villages further down in the mountains. The village itself is purely for housing the Shinobi, their families, the equipment stores, and the Raikage tower. Food and produce is moved to the Shinobi populace in large supply runs coordinated weekly. So in a way it's more of a large base camp than a village in the ways we define the term." Once again Naruto sunk down; Fuu's almost encyclopaedic knowledge of all things Shinobi once again proving to be spot on.

"Great." Shizuku frowned at Fuu, or at least where she thought Fuu was, the cloud bank they were trying to navigate through was really quite thick. On a positive note it wasn't raining, probably because they were actually in the clouds as opposed to under them; still a plus for Shizuku though.

"Can't you find Chakra sources in the fog with your eyes?" Naruto straightened up as they continued on, suddenly looking like he hadn't just broken down slightly.

"No, there's something about the cloud here that just bounces around the Chakra. Everything just looks like a vague blue haze." Shizuku looked down while Fuu looked thoughtful, it wasn't very different to her normal look but her lips pursed slightly.

"What about summoning something to fly us over the clouds?" Naruto turned to the former Taki Kunoichi, hand raised and mouth open, only for him to falter and just stare at the girl for a moment.

"That... is actually an excellent idea." He just blinked to himself for a moment as he wondered why he hadn't thought of that sooner. He put it down to not being familiar enough with his new path before moulding his Chakra and slamming his hand down. "Kuchiyose!" For a moment they weren't blinded by the mist as the small explosion of smoke pushed it away, giving the trio a brief glimpse of what Naruto had summoned.

"What the heck is that?" The other two shared Shizuku's sentiments as they stared at the strange creature. For the most part it looked like a bird with grey feathers, except about ten times as big as an average hawk. However its beak was horribly distended, looking more like a drill than a mouth.

"I have no idea, I just thought for something that would be able to carry us. I didn't really think of any specifics." He moved to the side, noting that the creature at least had the Rinnegan eyes which mean it didn't exist naturally, thankfully. "Well, it'll do for now, come on." With that Naruto jumped up onto the bird's back, staring strangely for a moment at the black spike seemingly impaled in the creature's neck. "That's weird, it looks like a Chakra rod is implanted here, but I've never summoned this thing before." Fuu hopped up next, taking a moment to look at the spike before grabbing a hold of it so she wouldn't fall off.

"Well it makes a good handhold." Shizuku jumped on last, looking wearily at the bird-thing's head, she could have sworn its eyes were looking at her. Naruto wasn't quite sure how to get the bird to move but as soon as he thought that its large wings began to beat up and down rhythmically, quickly lifting the improbably large beast up into the air. He noticed that with each flap of its enormous wings some mist would be cleared away, revealing more of the road, and he wasn't the only one.

"Hey, why didn't you use your wind manipulation to just clear the cloud away?" Naruto just shot Shizuku an unamused glance as he held onto the bird tightly.

"It's a little late for the suggestions. Anyway, with the amount of Chakra that it would take to do such a thing we would have Kumo Shinobi on us in minutes. We want to try and keep a low profile this time around." Shizuku just snorted quietly into her sleeve; nothing they did was ever 'low profile'.

"As least then they would be able to lead us into Kumo." Fuu quickly shook her head as they slowly rose higher into the air, making Naruto wonder just how thick the cloud bank was.

"Incorrect, Kumo's first initiative when confronted by possible hostiles using Chakra close to the village's border is immediate detainment followed by questioning." Shizuku just looked thoughtful as she gripped onto one of the bird's massive feathers, fighting the suction the wings made as they pumped down.

"Well that doesn't sound too bad." Fuu just stared at the girl for a moment before Shizuku lowered her head sheepishly. "You didn't really mean questioning did you?" It wasn't really a question but Fuu shook her head anyway.

"I think we're almost there." As if Naruto's words were prophetic at that moment the group burst from the surrounding clouds, wincing as the bright sunlight hit their eyes. For a moment they all just sat there is silence, looking around in total awe at the world around them. White fluffy clouds stretched out as far as they could see like an ocean of wool, only sparsely penetrated by towering mountain-tops that broke through like they were climbing towards the sun.

"Whoa." That summed up the collective thoughts of the group fairly accurately; their awed expressions making them look like children seeing the sea for the first time. Naruto was the first to recover as he began to peer at a nearby cluster of mountain tops, seemingly the tallest out of the range. The he spotted it, the shine of glass and metal wrapped around one of the peaks; a grin spread across his whiskered cheeks.

"Hey, what do you know? We weren't that far off." He was about right; the village was probably only a few miles away, minutes if they made the journey on the bird. Of course them landing in the middle of a village on what was quite clearly a summon, if not a strange one, would be incredibly suspicious. From Fuu's description Naruto didn't picture Kumo as the type of place to be all that welcoming to such an arrival.

"We'll land over there." He pointed out a small rocky outcropping that just about poked through the clouds, only a short distance from the village itself. It was close enough that they wouldn't get lost and far enough that most sensors wouldn't immediately pick them up. A few minutes later they were dismounting the large and odd bird which was quickly dispelled in a burst of smoke. Shizuku shivered slightly, she could've sworn the creepy avian shot her another look just before it vanished.

* * *

The only sound echoing in the now slightly thinning mist was the jangle of Naruto's shakujou and the click it made on the rocky ground as the group walked. By now they should have been within a few hundred metres of the village, unless of course they managed to get lost again. Thankfully at that moment a small group of Kumo Shinobi, as their headbands indicated, dropped down in front of them, led by a young man with spiked-out blonde hair.

"Stop! Come any closer and we will have to arrest you under suspicion of infiltrating Kumogakure." Naruto smiled pleasantly at the man as he moved his staff away from his body in a disarming manner.

"It's alright, we're just travellers looking to enter the village to re-supply and see the sights." The young man stared at the other blonde for a moment with piercing black eyes before nodding with a shrug.

"Alright, you're telling the truth. If you'd lied your Chakra would have been disturbed." Naruto raised an eyebrow at that; then again to was to be suspected the first people to meet possible intruders would be sensor-types. "We'll escort you to the village entrance, but be warned; after that you will be under close surveillance, anything we find suspicious and a Kumo Shinobi will not hesitate to apprehend you and your companions." Naruto nodded amicably as be motioned for the older blonde to lead on.

"Understood..." He looked up at the man expectantly who only returned it with slight irritation.

"Shee, now please follow me quickly, we have to get back to our patrol." He motioned for the two men flanking him to continue on their route while he took a different path, setting off at a brisk walk.

"So Shee, what's Kumo like?" The blonde man looked round at the girl dressed as a Shrine maiden with a raised brow before smirking.

"It's the most powerful village in the elemental nations; there isn't a better place to be from." Naruto gained a smirk of his own; because that very objective opinion wasn't biased at _all. _The rest of the admittedly short journey was made in silence before the group finally emerged from the oppressive cloud bank, only to gawk for the second time that day.

Kumo was beautiful; despite being a treacherous and mountainous region the people had adapted perfectly. Buildings were built in and out of the mountain-tops themselves offering unparalleled protection by giving an almost perfect view of the surroundings. Long sturdy bridges stretched between the various peaks, swaying slightly in the high-altitude breeze. The light glittered off of the surrounding clouds giving everything an almost ethereal look despite all the combat-ready Shinobi darting about with sure feet.

In the middle of it all, wrapped around the highest mountain in the range was an astounding feat of engineering. A large ring of metal and blue glass secured around the entire peak with the kanji for lightning proudly displayed at the front, clearly marking it as the Raikage tower. It sat like a jewel in Kumo's rocky crown, standing vigil over the entire village. Naruto blinked as he noticed a few of the windows on the top floor looked broken, like somebody had thrown something through them. Shee just looked at their awed faces with a small smirk before proudly looking at his village.

"Impressive sight isn't it?" He chuckled lightly as he turned to leave, the trio were in the hands of Kumo's ANBU now, watching from the shadows. "It has to be when we're competing with things like the Hokage monument and Iwa's volcanoes." With that he gave them a farewell wave before dashing off to meet back up with his squad.

"Well okay, where to first guys?" Naruto looked at his two companions expectantly, keeping an eye on the well concealed Chakra signature hiding in the shadows of a nearby craggy outcropping.

"Food/food!" Fuu and Shizuku looked at one another with smiles as Naruto laughed at their momentary synchronisation.

"Okay, food it is."

* * *

"Okay, I'm off to find someplace I can earn some money." Fuu waved distractedly at the blonde, currently reading one of the scrolls he had brought along with rapt attention. Shizuku walked over; she had also been reading but it was less relevant to her; without the more advance water manipulation techniques she was stuck on the more basic level. She was trying to be creative with her little water pillar but ultimately she couldn't advance until they had more information. Naruto wasn't so sure he could conveniently earn the trust of an academy student to get him the information this time.

"Good luck, just try not to run into the village's Jinchuuriki right away." Shizuku gave him a knowing smile while Fuu even looked up, a small smirk playing across her lips. Naruto just looked amused as he stepped out the door of the temple backwards, an eyebrow raised.

"Come on, I'm not that bad. So what if I accidentally ran into two Jinchuuriki in their respective village? It's not like it's going to happen everywhere." Shizuku just giggled into her sleeve before waving the young blonde off, returning to her scroll. They had been in Kumo for a few days now under the hospitality of an elderly priest who was already half-blind from age. Naruto was fairly certain the old man was only allowing them to stay because he seemed to have mistaken the blonde for somebody else; despite his insistence he was not 'Todoroi'.

He stepped out of the building, putting a hand up to block the sun from his eyes for a moment. Up in the mountains, without reliable cloud coverage, the sun seemed a lot brighter than normal. He supposed that was the only reason the mountain top was not bitingly cold; strong breezes and even storms were apparently quite common in Kumo. It was why every other building had a large lightning rod on the roof, both to re-direct nature's anger and harness it into power.

He was currently walking towards Kumo's small shopping district; he had already been through once before on a small tour the trio took to get acquainted with the village. There weren't all that many shops but they were all high-quality and most were for Shinobi outfitting. He figured he could earn some money in the evenings either cleaning or tidying up one of the stores. Unfortunately he seemed to have lost his way in one of the more winding alleys. He had no map to consult so he relented and walked over to the nearest person to ask direction.

"Hey, could you tell me how to get to the merchant district?" The woman he had talked to looked around with just a hint of annoyance. From her rigid posture and unusual outfit he could guess she was a Shinobi, the headband helped as well, and by her crossed arms and lightly tapping foot it was clear she was waiting for something or someone. She raised a blonde eyebrow at the small monk who had walked up to her.

"Huh, you're actually talking to me? You must not be from Kumo." Naruto blinked at the odd reply before returning his face to his normal serene mask.

"Is there any reason I shouldn't talk to you?" He said it almost jokingly which brought a smirk to the taller woman's face as she leaned in closer to him, an almost predatory look in her dark chocolate eyes.

"Oh there are several." She leaned in even closer, her voice becoming more of a sultry whisper. "But you shouldn't worry about those." She leaned back again, a satisfied look on her smirking features at Naruto's shocked and slightly dazed form. "Heh, you're too easy Gaki; gotta be more careful or some girl's gonna wind you around their little finger." She grinned again, looking very much like a cat playing with the mouse she had caught. "That is if I don't beat them to it." She finished by running her tongue across her lips, revealing slightly pointed canines behind shining red lips.

"Uhh, right... the market?" The woman just laughed, a soft tinkling sound that had Naruto shaking his head out of the daze that came over him. He looked the woman over; she had sandy blonde hair pulled into a long pony-tail, wrapped most of the way down with bandages with a small tuft at the end like a lion's tail. She ran a hand down her side, smoothing the tight purple and black top she was wearing, to rest on her hip, covered by a simple maroon sash. Strangely she seemed to have prayer beads wound around one of her bandage-wrapped arms, ending at her fingerless purple gloves.

"That way honey." She pointed off in a certain direction as Naruto gave a small and hesitant nod of appreciation, earning another tinkling laugh from the strange Kunoichi.

"Uhh, thanks..." The woman just gave a sly grin as her posture shifted, her hips moving to the side in an overly-seductive manner.

"Oh, wanting my name so soon? We only just met; isn't it polite to give yours first?" Naruto had to shake himself out of his daze again before nodding more assuredly.

"Right, it's Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki." The woman merely smirked as she leaned back against the building she had been waiting at.

"Yugito, or you can call me Nii-sama." Her smile once again took on a predatory edge. "Either's fine." Naruto just nodded as he took slow careful steps backwards, widening the woman's grin.

"Well then thanks Yugito-san." The older blonde pouted mockingly at that but Naruto missed it, he had already turned and walked on. Yugito merely sighed pleasantly as she crossed her arms again, pressing up her chest more noticeably.

"Kids are so much fun."

* * *

A few days later Naruto was sitting cross-legged in a rocky clearing halfway down a mountainside. Really it was a training ground but it just looked like a random plateau carved from the mountain. There was a single bare tree hanging precariously at an angle over the edge to a very long and steep drop below. Naruto liked it, it was very peaceful and it was just above the clouds to the point where a light mist drifted along the bottom few inches of the stony floor. If he looked out over the edge all he could see was an ocean of white with the occasional grey. It was nice to be somewhere it wasn't raining that didn't force him to circulate fire Chakra just to stay warm.

"Ah!" He flinched in pain as a stray arc of electricity left a slight burn on his hands. Currently, no pun intended, he was working on his lightning manipulation and it was proving to be a rather painful experience. The technique involved passing a small current between his slightly separated fingers, enough to be visible as a blue arc. Then as his control progressively got better he would separate the fingers more and more; the end goal was to pass the current between his hands in one continuous loop through his circled arms.

However lightning proved to be a rather unpredictable element to control; right now he could still only keep his forefinger and thumb about two inches apart. Any more than that and he would lose control, the electricity arcing out to leave him with a small but still irritating burn. It actually worked as a rather effective, if not unappreciated incentive; not that it helped the blonde's mood much as yet another small red welt appeared on his hand with an accompanying cry of irritation and pain.

"Hey! Who are you?" Naruto looked up, spotting a young dark-skinned Shinobi with short white hair wearing the traditional Kumo uniform of the white one-shoulder flak jacket over a dark grey hoodie. Oddly enough he had a sucker sticking out of his mouth; complimenting his overall bored demeanour well. He had a sword slung over his back although from the way he moved it was painfully obvious he hadn't had much experience with it yet; he kept re-adjusting it every couple of moments.

"Oh hello; I'm a monk from Hi no Kuni. I'm actually practising lightning manipulation so I thought what better place than Kaminari no Kuni?" He said it jokingly but was rather taken aback by how serious the boy suddenly became. As his feet touched down on the plateau he sank into a crouched position, looking down at the floor.

"Monks learning jutsu? But what if all the monks become more powerful than us Shinobi and decide to conquer us because we sometimes kill for money? Then I accidentally seduce one of the monk's daughters and she has to choose between her loyalty to her temple or her love with me? We run off together but are hunted down by both monks and Shinobi only to fight back, killing the leader of both sides causing instability in their ranks and causing the collapse of society as we know it." He looked up, actually looking a little afraid by what he said while Naruto just blinked at him.

"Well... that's certainly a concern." The Shinobi just nodded, his eyes widened; he was obviously still thinking about this strange alternate world of his. Naruto just shook his head and returned to what he was doing, only to cry out in pain as he was once again simultaneously shocked and burned a little. The dark-skinned boy looked up, apparently shaken out of his prophetic vision of a horrendous future as he glanced at what the blonde was doing.

"Oh, I remember having to do that, Bee-sensei never gave us any help. Well actually, he might have but because of the way he talks it's hard to tell sometimes." He walked over, crouching beside Naruto and watching the electricity arc between his stretched fingers. He moved his sucker from one side of his mouth to the other as he hummed for a moment. "Yeah, I got stuck around here too; it was Samui-taichou who figured it out first, she always does." He looked off into the distance and for a moment Naruto feared he was about to go off on another rant.

"What you're doing is trying to control the lightning, except electricity doesn't like to be controlled. It lashes out. Instead you simply have to imagine your fingers as points for the current to travel between, one the emitter and the other the lightning rod. This way you don't try and control the electricity, you simply guide it along a certain path. It's kind of like tricking it." Naruto looked up, rather impressed at the surprisingly helpful advice.

He looked down at his hand, circulating the lightning Chakra again as he slowly moved his fingers apart. He was shocked, again no pun intended, when he was able to move them all the way apart while still keeping a steady stream of arcing electricity going. He grinned, looking up at the cloud Shinobi with a thankful nod to which the boy just moved his sucker again.

"Thanks, but why are you helping me so readily?" The boy just shrugged lazily before frowning as he was once again forced to re-adjust the sword on his back.

"It's no problem; I just remember how frustrating it was when I was doing it. I'm Omoi by the way." The white-haired Shinobi held out a hand which Naruto gladly accepted, shaking once.

"Naruto." Omoi stood up, shifting the sword again with a roll of his shoulders.

"Anyway, you should wait until you see the second stage of lighting manipulation." The boy grinned in an uncharacteristically sadistic manner as if he knew something Naruto didn't.

"OMOI!" Suddenly a third vice cut in through the otherwise quiet mountain side causing a look of a alarm to appear in Omoi's widened eyes.

"Uh nice meeting you Naruto, I have to go now." With that he gave a quick incline of the head and practically leapt from the plateau like a base-jumper. Seconds later a very angry looking Kunoichi slid down from the same place Omoi had come from. She had spiky red hair that covered her back held back by a bandanna she had fixed her forehead protector to. Other than that she wore the standard Kumo attire just like Omoi except over a ragged, sleeveless grey vest and a long skirt. Most remarkable were her striking golden eyes which matched her small ball-bearing earrings.

"Hey you, blondie! You see a white-haired dopey looking guy come through here? Might have exaggerated some random story to ridiculous lengths?" Naruto just nodded quickly, pointing off in a random direction; he didn't know what Omoi did to aggravate this Kunoichi but it was the least he could do for the pointer he gave him. The girl just smirked viciously before sprinting off in the completely wrong direction; she too carried a sword but he couldn't tell if she was any more competent with it than Omoi.

After she had gone Naruto just shook his head slowly before chuckling to himself; it was almost as if he attracted the craziest elements of any village he entered. He just shrugged it off as one of those things as he returned to his exercise; slowly though he began to drift off before completely loosing himself to his inner consciousness.

* * *

After getting the traditional welcome out of the way within his seal Naruto once again distracted Shukaku by throwing a Chakra rod. He found so far that his conversations with the Kyuubi went a lot smoother without the giant tanuki around. It wasn't like the sand construct was good for any meaningful conversation anyway beyond his insane mutterings and excited cries of 'father'. He sat down at the centre of the room, calmly mediating as the rhythmic breeze of the Kyuubi's breath caused his robes to flutter as they played their game of 'who's going to talk first?'

"**What are you wearing on your head?" **The blonde opened an eye slightly in amusement; he didn't even have to try today and the great fox already seemed highly agitated by something. His tone was dark and almost came out as a growl; further enhanced by his lips being pulled back into snarl.

"It's a forehead protector." The Kyuubi just snorted in its typical manner, its eyes remaining narrowed as it glared at its jailer.

"**I know what it is Ningen." **Naruto chuckled as he opened his eyes, dropping the pretence of meditation as he lounged back on his hands.

"Then why ask?" The enormous red eyes only narrowed further; it seemed the Kyuubi wasn't in the mood for their usual back and forth today.

"**Why are you wearing it?" **Naruto just raised a curious eyebrow, wondering why the Kyuubi was so interested in what he was wearing all of a sudden.

"It was a gift, and I think it looks good." Another warm gust of air swept over him with the fox's grunt of disapproval.

"**You look even more ridiculous and pitiful than usual Ningen." **Naruto just grinned; he wondered if it was at all sane to be completely unconcerned with the words of a being that could crush you with a mere absent flick of one of its tails. Okay... it wouldn't be that simple but the Kyuubi was definitely more powerful than he was, vastly so.

"When did you become a fashion critic?" All he received was another indignant snort, somewhat of a staple responce for the great fox. They lapsed into another uncomfortable silence with only the surprisingly gentle sounds of the Kyuubi breathing providing the background noise.

"**What is it you truly hope to accomplish by coming in here Ningen?" **Naruto looked up in moderate surprise; the Kyuubi's features were still twisted into a slight snarl but the venom in its voice was all but gone. Instead the great fox just seemed tired; it had slunk down to rest its head on its paws, one eye closed while the other stared at Naruto with a mix between curiosity and loathing.

"I've already told you, I want to understand you. To understand why you bear so much hatred." For once the Kyuubi didn't snort, it didn't grunt, it didn't rebuke Naruto in any way.

"**Why?" **Again Naruto couldn't help but blink in surprise; this was the closest he had ever come to holding a normal conversation with the Bijuu.

"Because you deserve the chance to be heard like everybody else." The great beast snorted loudly; although this time it was not out of spite or indignation. If anything the Kyuubi sounded somewhat amused, if such a thing were possible for a being of pure Chakra.

"**I have wiped out entire human settlements over the centuries, killed thousands if not millions of your kind. To your people I am known as a harbinger of destruction and death, more akin to a natural disaster than an actual intelligent being. Why would you show me the same courtesy that you would your own kind when you can barely even comprehend what I am?" **Naruto looked down for a moment, feeling as though he had to choose his next words very carefully.

"Because... If I don't, then who will?" For what felt like a very long moment there was silence, not even the Kyuubi's breathing seemed to break the sudden void of noise for a deafening second. Finally though it turned its enormous head, staring intently at the boy for a while before grunting and lowering its head back onto its paws.

"**So what is it you want from me exactly? A testament? A confession?" **Naruto looked up at the fox, trying to puzzle out just what he was seeing in the old being's face at that moment. Resignation? Acceptance? He might never find out.

"How about your story?" He saw the fox raise its brow a little as there was another quiet pause before it slowly nodded just once.

** "Very well Ningen, we will see what you think when I am finished."**


	21. Lightning II

**Ugghh, Digi doesn't own Naruto; now I'm going to watch some clouds, this is all such a drag**

* * *

**Sage**

_"Your present circumstances don't determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start." – Nido Qubein_

* * *

"**Around a thousand of your Ningen years ago there was a man, likened to a travelling holy man similar to the monks of today." **Naruto grinned at that, already having a feeling for who the Kyuubi was talking about.

"Like me?" The great fox merely levelled an irritated gaze at him, clearly telling him to shut up.

"**However he was far more than just a monk, he could see things others couldn't, use powers others found impossible. It took him a great many years to understand his abilities, by the time he was done a great evil had arose in the lands he lived in. It is greatly simplified but the most you need to know is that it was a terrible beast known only as the Juubi." **Naruto blinked at that, remembering back to the time he had been first told of the Sage and that illustrated monster he was fighting.

"**Many events occurred that are a long story for a different time, however it culminated with the Sage defeating the monster, sealing its energy within himself and becoming the first Jinchuuriki." **Naruto was also surprised by that and couldn't help but start drawing parallels between himself and the Sage. **"He became known as a great hero, hailed by many as a god for his unworldly abilities that even before becoming a Jinchuuriki surpassed many of your so-called 'legendary' Shinobi of today." **The fox snorted to himself, even Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha paled in comparison to the power held by the long-dead Sage.

"**However even the Sage had his limits like all you Ningen and eventually, despite the overwhelming power he had accumulated, he was forced to face his own mortality. He feared that the creature he had kept locked away within his body would be released upon his death so he took precautions. When he was old and frail, merely a shadow of his former self, he released the energy within him, shaping it and moulding it into nine separate beings." **At that Naruto gained a sudden look of understanding to which the Kyuubi only nodded once.

"**You aren't as simple as you appear Ningen. Yes, all nine Bijuu are simply an aspect of our progenitor, the Juubi, given new form and mind. As a final precaution the sage sealed the great beast's body within an enormous construct of stone before throwing it into the sky; I believe your kind call it the moon." **Naruto at this point nearly had his jaw on the ground, in a figurative sense, everything he was being told was just incredible.

"Wait, that actually happened?!" The Kyuubi just narrowed his eyes at the small blonde, daring him to interrupt again.

"**Yes, the Sage's power even on his death bed was unrivalled; I believe he used the land that once occupied what you know as Mizu no Kuni." **The fox seemed somewhat repulsed he was forcing himself to use these human terms just to tell his story. **"However that is irrelevant; shortly after giving us life, the Sage succumbed to his own humanity, leaving only a legacy in the form of his two sons, progenitors of the Senju and..." **The fox grimaced as if the next words might poison his mouth. **"...Uchiha clans." **The beast took a moment, seemingly trying to rid himself of the foul taste that word left in his mouth.

"**For a time, there was peace. Many remembered the teachings the Sage had passed on in his times. Slowly the Shinobi system as you know it today came into existence as people twisted Ninjutsu into weapons, with more and more Ningen learning to harness Chakra as the Sage once had. Of course all paled in comparison to what he had been, but that never stopped your pitiful kind from trying." **The fox let out a low rumbling sigh as he dropped his head back onto his paws, its eyes losing focus slightly as it remembered the times back then.

"**Then, as Ningen always inevitably do, your kind tried to reach beyond their grasp. Tales of the Sage faded into legend and myth and the origin of my own kind was lost to the devilish tongue of man. You kind sought mine out, looking to kill us and be proclaimed heroes for 'vanquishing' us like the demons you saw us as. You could not comprehend our power so naturally you either tried to take it from us, or extinguish what you could not understand." **The fox sighed loudly, suddenly sounding more like a weary old man than an impossibly powerful construct of Chakra.

"**I was forced to watch as one by one the rest of the Bijuu were enslaved or captured, forced into vessels of human flesh and bone. However I was unconcerned, my power was much greater than theirs, my tails greater in number; my pride was my downfall. I believed myself to be the greatest being in existence since the Sage himself." **The Kyuubi's furred fist slammed down suddenly with rage in its eyes as it glared at Naruto, or more specifically the race he represented.

"**And I still am!" **It took a deep rumbling breath before settling back down on its stomach, the fire still burning in its eyes. **"However even the mighty fall when they underestimate their opponent. I was foolish enough to believe that the single Ningen that dared challenge me was just like the rest of your kind, destined to be crushed beneath my tails. However Madara Uchiha..." **Again it spit the word out like it didn't even deserve to taint its tongue. **"... possessed something the rest did not; the Sharingan." **The great fox growled lowly as Naruto remembered his time in Konoha, those people with the red eyes who would glare at him just like the rest of the village.

"**An aberration of the Sage's Doujutsu that he used to enslave me in the most humiliating manner. That cursed man forced me to fight his battles like some common pet." **By now the Kyuubi's eyes were alight with rage, its tailed swaying ominously. **"However he too overstepped his bounds, fighting a man greater than himself; your Shodaime Hokage." **Like with Madara the Kyuubi didn't seem to like the taste of that all too much, however he spoke with slightly less spite.

"**Then, like the rest of my kind before me, I was imprisoned, chained down in a vessel of blood and ink. That lasted for a few more decades and when I finally smelt my freedom in the form of my jailors death it was ripped from me. I was traded to a new host, passed down like some piece of jewelry you Ningen find so fascinating. I did not believe it was possible but the next decade proved to be even worse than before." **The fox rubbed its paw lightly as if remembering some phantom injury.

"**I was chained in the dark, impaled all over my body with those accursed chains, unable to even move. When I finally tasted freedom I only awoke to find myself sealed inside of you, some frail pathetic child that couldn't even stand under its own power." **It glared at Naruto for a moment but the blonde didn't even blink. **"Then I discovered that this jail was different, I could catch fleeting glimpses of the outside world." **The creature snarled for a moment looking away into the darkness of its cell.

"**You say I attacked your village?" **The Kyuubi snorted loudly in both disgust and sickening amusement before returning its steady gaze to the blonde. **"I don't remember it but I assure you I would have taken the utmost satisfaction in destroying your wretched village for my humiliating imprisonment." **There was a long silence before Naruto realised the Kyuubi was finished, it just lay there with its head on its paws, staring at the young monk intently.

Naruto stood up from where he had been sitting cross-legged, making the Kyuubi raise its brow slightly in curiosity. The blond simply walked forward, leaving his shakujou behind on the ground as he walked right up to the bars of the Kyuubi's cage. He didn't stop there though, in a move that surprised the great fox the young monk slipped through the bars and continued walking forward, all the way until he was right in front of the fox's enormous muzzle, never once breaking eye contact. Finally he stopped, smiling lightly at the fox which only looked back with steeled and wary features.

"I am Naruto Uzumaki, monk of the Fire Temple in Hi no Kuni. I cannot speak for the entirety of my race nor can I profess that they would even support me if I did. However, I would like to offer my most sincere apology for you and your kind's treatment." And with that the young blonde bowed, his head touching the floor in a fully submissive pose before the great Bijuu. The fox thought about how easy it would be to simply crush the human, a flick of its paw, a sweep of its tail; it would be no harder than swatting a fly.

Of course he would have to wait a year or two for his body to re-form and a decade more for his full strength to return but the possibility was certainly there. This young boy, barely out of his childhood was bowed before him, not as a servant or in any form of fear, but as an offer of trust. The great fox would deny it if ever asked again but at that exact moment its maw slipped into the smallest of smiles before immediately returning to its neutral grimace. The Kyuubi merely snorted once, the winds nearly bowling the young blonde over.

"**Stop bowing Ningen, one who bears the Sage's eyes should not debase themselves like that." **Naruto immediately stood up, the small but genuine smile still present at not being crushed where he stood. It was a gamble he had taken but he was glad it had paid off, he felt as though this was a real turning point in his relationship with his tenant. The fox was stoic as ever, lifting its head up high over the much, much smaller human to look down with rather apathetic red eyes.

"**Do not mistake my intentions Ningen, we are not 'friends' nor are we 'comrades'. I do not like you nor has my opinion been changed on your worthless race." **The great fox inhaled deeply before looking away like a nobleman might when forced to apologise about something; they would do it but that certainly didn't mean they would like it. **"However I will admit you are somewhat different than the rest of your kind; now leave my cell before I change my mind and crush you like a speck of dust." **Naruto just nodded, still maintaining that smile as he quickly slipped back between the bars. The blonde returned to his sitting position by his shakujou, amusedly drumming his fingers along the wooden staff.

"So different in a good or bad way?" By now the fox had returned to lying on its stomach, not even bothering to face the small blonde anymore. Naruto just figured it was acting more aloof than usual to compensate for its momentary lapse of not being the pinnacle of destruction and rage. It turned its head so that one narrowed red eye calmly gazed at the young monk.

"**We shall see Ningen." **Naruto sighed a little, he had hoped the Kyuubi would at least call him by his name now; but it seemed the great fox was still just as stubborn as ever.

"Any chance of me learning your name then?" The fox snorted loudly, however for once it wasn't in abject distain or indignation; it was more of a neutral snort. Naruto blinked for a moment at how ridiculous that sounded even in his own head but when the Kyuubi's main go to response was a snort or a growl he had to start discerning meanings in them.

"**Do not push your already frail luck Ningen, now be gone, this has grown tiresome." **Naruto just gave a curt nod with the same small smile before fading from the seal, taking Shukaku's cage with him to leave the Kyuubi in darkened solitude. It slunk back into its lonely cell, curling up around itself on the floor, closer to the gate than it usually did.

'_**He is an unusual one; it seems he has inherited more than simply your eyes Father.'**_

* * *

The next week for the trio was fairly peaceful; Naruto noticed they were still watched by the ANBU but he didn't mind that too much, they weren't actually doing anything wrong after all. However what the special ops members didn't know was that they were mostly following henged shadow clones around all day. It had worked in Suna so Naruto saw no reason why it wouldn't work in Kumo; it turned out he was right.

During the day he would divide his time between helping out Shizuku where he could with her elemental training, trying to master his own lightning exercise and sparring with Fuu. In the evening he would send a shadow clone to help out at various Shinobi supply stores, cleaning up for what money the shop-keepers could offer him. It wasn't a great amount but it was at least enough to tide them over on their journeys. Right now they didn't have to buy much, although Naruto sometimes felt guilty for playing on the old monk's hospitality.

Currently he was sitting in that same plateau that had become somewhat of a favourite training ground of his in the short time he had been in Kumo. Omoi had come by a few more times as well; they would talk, he would exaggerate and the young Shinobi would talk to him about his village, his teammates and the like. Nothing classified or that could be considered dangerous, just generic banter more for the sake of conversation more than anything else. The two had become quick friends; Naruto missed having a guy friend to talk to, being surrounded by two girls all day every day.

Fuu was nearby, practising a familiar hand seal as increasingly healthy, but still frail clones appeared next to her, only to be banished away in clouds of smoke. Naruto had figured with a Jinchuuriki's stamina and reserves the shadow clone technique would suit Fuu well. There was also the fact she was not limited with how many she could produce like Naruto was meaning if she was careful with the mental feedback she could use them for training.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Another large puff echoed around the plateau as a slightly pale and shaky Fuu appeared next to the original. Naruto smiled at her accomplishment, she had finally made one that could stand; she was definitely getting closer. She had been working at it for the last two hours; of course Naruto had gotten it down in one but he had the benefit of having Sora challenge him to see who could master it first. Naturally he had come away the victor from that little challenge; he had the advantage of being the full Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi, not just its Chakra.

He just continued on with his lighting manipulation; by now he could separate his hands by about a foot and a half with a few healthy arcs of lightning bouncing between his palms. He might have been imagining thing but he could have sworn each element was becoming easier to master as they went along. Perhaps he was just getting used to separating his Chakra into the individual elements, or maybe with each element he mastered it was simpler to separate the remaining ones out of his normal Chakra. After a while Fuu walked over, looking rather haggard from the intense Chakra usage, with a victorious smirk on her features as she sank to the ground besides him.

"That is truly an impressive technique, I can't imagine how fast one could learn something using their memory feedback." Naruto just nodded as another bright arc of electricity jumped between his hands like a little azure laser.

"Yeah, but you have to be careful. Sora got really bad headaches when he let too many clones dispel at once." The blonde chuckled at the memory, his friend had practically been comatose the next day but at least he had learned a valuable lesson about restraint. Fuu just nodded in understanding, falling onto her back from the exhaustion. Even as a Jinchuuriki, splitting her Chakra so many times between clones was tiring; she was sure she would be feeling the strain she had put on her pathways in the morning, advanced healing or not.

"I'm surprised more people don't attempt the training method. The possible gains seem to outweigh the dangers." Naruto let his arms drop, wincing a little as a stray bolt of lightning arced out and burned his arm slightly at his loss of control.

"Maybe for me and you but from what I've seen Jinchuuriki seem to be a somewhat special case. I don't really know how to describe it but our Chakra seems denser than others, it means we can split it more safely as our bodies can operate with less than others'. Normal people can't so they're limited to maybe twenty clones at the very most, beyond that it's just dangerous. There's also the problem of maintaining them long enough to be of any use; the longest I've ever held a clone is about ten hours, beyond that they seem to become unstable. Add that to their frailty and they lose their value as training tools." Fuu just nodded understandably; despite her status as Jinchuuriki feeling like a curse most of the time she could at least accept it gave her certain advantages over others.

"I understand; from what you describe they seem more suited for reconnaissance." Naruto just nodded, from what Chiriku had told him that was exactly what they were for. Suddenly the two were interrupted by a scrabbling sound; they turned to see Shizuku descending the mountain towards them rather quickly, an excited look on her face. She skidded to a stop in front of them, panting slightly from running but grinning all the same.

"Naruto I found them!" The aforementioned blonde just quirked an eyebrow as the girl straightened up, catching her second wind before elaborating. "You know you told us about that Sage guy, the one who had the Rinnegan before you?" Naruto winced at how loudly she had said it, luckily the ANBU were off chasing his shadow clones but Shizuku probably didn't know that. "You said he had a lot of objects that he put his power into like your staff." The blonde wanted to correct the girl that it was a shakujou, not a staff, however he was too interested in where this was going to stop her.

"Well they're here! In Kumo!" The blonde just blinked in surprise before asking the obvious, getting to his feet from his cross-legged position in the process.

"How do you know?" Shizuku smiled proudly as she produced a small leaflet from a pouch of hers she kept around her waist. Naruto looked it over quickly; it just seemed to be an ordinary museum pamphlet, advertising the various attractions the place had to offer. There were exhibits on the origins of Kumo, a weapons display from the warring clans' period and a special exhibit on... The Sage of the Six Paths. He looked up in surprise only to see a grinning Shizuku, almost looking like a dog waiting for its master to pat it on the head.

"Wow, great find Shizuku." He moved forward, quickly sweeping the girl into a spinning hug, much to her embarrassment and Fuu's unnoticed chagrin. He finally set the blushing girl down to re-read the pamphlet but it didn't have much more information besides the times the museum was open. "Did you get a look at anything?" Shizuku quickly shook her head, still looking a little red from the unexpected hug.

"Uh no, I ran right over here when I found out." Naruto just nodded absently as he continued to scour the leaflet. Fuu walked across the small plateau, glancing over his shoulder at the piece of paper before staring at his shakujou.

"Why would Kumo keep something as powerful as the Sage's tools in a museum? Why not actually use them?" Naruto finally looked up from the pamphlet, a small grin on his face as he shook his Shakujou lightly getting it to jingle.

"Well if they're anything like this then hardly anybody would be able to hold them, never mind use them. Really only a Kage, a Jinchuuriki or a Rinnegan user would be able to properly use them." Fuu just nodded, she had once held Naruto's staff out of curiosity and despite her enormous reserves she was sure even an hour holding that simple wooden staff would drain her dry. It made her appreciate it all the more that Naruto could carry it around all day with no visible drain on his Chakra, it was truly made for a Rinnegan user.

"But Kumo has two Jinchuuriki as far as the other countries are aware, the Nibi no Nekomata and the Hachibi no Kyogyuu." Naruto just shrugged, he couldn't really say why the village wouldn't utilise such powerful tools.

"Maybe the tools just don't fit with their fighting styles?" Nobody really had an answer for him; they knew just as much as he did on the subject. Perhaps he could get something out of the Kyuubi but he was being especially sullen and unresponsive lately; it was actually rather amusing to see the great fox acting petulantly.

"Well, I guess we know where we'll find the answers."

* * *

The Kumo museum was a surprisingly small building, until of course you realised that since it was built into a mountain most of the exhibits were in the lower levels. It did stick out a little though being built out of a shining white marble as opposed to the normal grey-hued materials the rest of Kumo was constructed from. You could tell the whole place was built for the express purpose of attracting tourists, there was even a little gift shop selling replica headbands and other Kumogakure memorabilia.

Inside it was cool and well ventilated to make up for the sometimes cramped spaces filled with people that would otherwise make it stiflingly hot. The Sage of the Six Paths exhibit was on the lowest accessible level of the museum, everything below it being maintenance or storage. The trio had a surprisingly good time looking through the other displays; Naruto especially enjoyed a display on the Hachibi and its various attacks on the village. There was even a small model of Kumo with a to-scale Hachibi in the middle of destroying it.

"There it is." The blonde felt a tug on his sleeve and turned to see Shizuku pointing out another hallway with a sign designating it as the Sage's display. They quickly made their way inside, not really finding anything all that different; all the displays were still set into the wall or on tables in the centre of the room. Naturally Naruto gravitated over to the large panoramic window that held the tools themselves.

"They don't look all that impressive." Naruto found himself agreeing with Fuu's hushed whisper, it was an odd collection of items. The first was possibly the most impractical sword Naruto had ever seen, the label marking it as the Shichiseiken. It was a wide metal blade that folded around a thin central metal pole; the information mentioned something about severing 'word souls' or something of the like; it didn't make a lot of sense to the young monk.

Next along was the Koukinjou, a long golden rope, supposedly used to bind and draw out one's word soul with some kind of verbal command. Again Naruto was confused by the phrase, wondering just what a 'word soul' was. It seemed there was no actual information on it; obviously Kumo didn't want people knowing how their treasured tools worked. The blonde just shook his head, communication was the first step towards understanding, hoarding knowledge never ended well historically.

The item after that was a large crimson gourd that reminded Naruto a little of Gaara's sand container, except it didn't have a Suna headband wrapped around the middle. It was the Benihisago and apparently completed the 'word soul' trio, capturing them within itself after they were severed and drawn out. In all they seemed like strange group of items and it looked like you would need all three to get any use out of them. However due to the bulky gourd and unwieldy sword that seemed highly impractical, it would make more sense for two people working in tandem.

The fourth item was different to the rest, an enormous and colourful fan made of unidentifiable bird feathers; the Bashousen. It confused Naruto though as the description said it allowed the user to generate all five Chakra natures. That made no sense, due to the Rinnegan Naruto was already able to use all five elements, why would the Sage need this? The more Naruto thought about it the more he began to think these tools were not actually for the sage. He wondered if they had been gifts like his own shakujou had been at one point; he feared he might never get an answer though.

Finally there was the item in the centre of the room, cordoned off by both velvet ropes and a thick layer of glass. It was a huge stone purifying pot with a thick white rope wrapped around the top and a stylized version of the kanji for Lightning imprinted on it. Naruto quickly guessed the mark was more recently added. The pot was supposed to be able to seal anything inside, merging it with the liquid inside. In fact it had been used on three separate occasions to capture the Hachibi before it was transferred to a new Jinchuuriki.

"Yeah, the only thing that looks useful is the fan and you can already use all five elements." Shizuku suddenly spoke from his left, looking intently at the large stone pot. Naruto just chuckled at his two companions looking at each object with curious gazes.

"Actually none of these are of any use to me." The two girls just looked around, blinking in confusion.

"I don't understand, they were created by the Sage of the Six Paths, they have to have at least some use." Naruto just shook his head, motioning with his arms in a sweeping gesture that encompassed the room.

"No, I mean all of these are fake, there's no Chakra in them." Fuu and Shizuku just nodded in understanding; if there was anybody who could tell if something belonged to the Sage or not it was Naruto.

"I see, these must be replicas. The real ones are most likely better protected somewhere else." Naruto just nodded, he had been thinking the same thing as Fuu; there was no way Kumo would just leave all the treasured tools out like this, even with the security and barrier seals on all the glass. Naruto simply shrugged as he began to walk for the exit, having lost interest in the fake display. Fuu and Shizuku quickly followed him and soon the trio were outside the museum, sitting on a low bench across the street.

"So how are we supposed to learn anything about the Sage if the items on display are all fakes?" Not surprisingly it was Shizuku who posed the innocent question, quickly met by matching smirks from Fuu and Naruto. The purple-haired girl just groaned into her hands; she could already imagine what her friends were thinking. "Can we please not make another enemy out of a Hidden Village?" Naruto just shrugged while Fuu didn't seem to care in the slightest; then again, she was already being hunted by one Hidden Village.

"Ah you worry too much Shizuku." The girl just looked at the blonde with a stern expression which made the boy grin sheepishly.

"You're planning on stealing the tools aren't you?" It wasn't really a question so Naruto didn't really feel like answering; he just got up off the bench and started walking back to the temple. Fuu quickly followed him while Shizuku just looked at the two with her eye twitching slightly. "Naruto?" The boy just kept walking, waving back to the Miko-esque girl cheekily." Naruto!" She raced after him; she already knew whatever he had planned would be a bad idea.

* * *

Shizuku was right, it was a bad idea. Thankfully Naruto didn't plan on attempting to steal a practical national treasure of Kumo... at least not yet. For one they didn't know where said treasures even were, the real ones, and they had no idea what kind of protection they might have. Of course that only made the blonde monk see it as a kind of challenge, something that only increased Shizuku's fears. She knew that when Naruto had a goal he would move heaven and earth to see it accomplished; that did not bode well for them if Kumo ever found out what they were planning.

However right now everything was returning to normal, Naruto was still practising his lightning manipulation having recently gotten the second stage from Omoi. Shizuku was still refining her control over water and Fuu was... doing whatever it was Fuu did. Honestly the mint-haired girl was a little bit of a mystery to Shizuku; she would wander off into Kumo off half the day only to come back around lunch, spar with Naruto until she was tired then wander off again.

Shizuku had no idea what the girl did or where she went, as far she could tell Fuu just liked her peace and quiet. The violette figured it was her own way of proving her independence after having her every move controlled by Taki. Unfortunately right now Fuu seemed rather aimless, she lacked a goal other than to follow Naruto and protect him. It was obvious though she was looking for something, trying to find a purpose in her life where she previously had none of her own.

Shizuku's inner monologue was cut short as Naruto strode into the temple, a large grin on his face as he walked forward, picked Shizuku up into a brief hug and span her around before walking on into another room. The girl had to shake off her sudden goofy trance at the intimate hug before quickly following Naruto into the other room where he was muttering to himself quietly but energetically, almost like he was having a conversation with himself.

"Uhh, Naruto? As much as I enjoyed the hug... can you tell me why?" The blonde just looked around with the same victorious grin; for a moment Shizuku feared, and somewhat didn't mind, that he might pull her into another embrace.

"I've got it, I know how we can get the tools!" Shizuku blinked; she might have been against attempting to steal priceless relics from a very powerful hidden village but she couldn't help but be interested. It didn't help that Naruto had naturally infectious good moods and she was getting swept away in his glowing grin.

"Really, how?" If anything his smile stretched even wider, his steely purple eyes almost glowing with Chakra.

"I'm going to learn how to turn invisible!"


	22. Lightning III

**Mmm, Digi doesn't own Naruto but his blood is so delicious, so innocent and naïve... hmm now off to find some dango**

* * *

**Sage**

_"The only way of finding the limits of the possible are by going beyond them into the impossible" – Arthur C. Clarke_

* * *

"Agghhh! This is impossible!" Naruto sat dejectedly in his favourite training ground, his hands clasped in the ram seal which was supposed to aid the drawing out and subconscious moulding of Chakra. Fuu sat to one side, calmly reading through a scroll on the basic fundamentals of Chakra. Naruto had found she was the type who always reverted to studying the basics when she was stuck on what to do. Without any access to Jutsu scrolls or Taijutsu techniques and without Naruto being willing to spar she didn't have much else to do.

"Then are you going to look for another way?" Naruto just shot Fuu and pointed look that clearly said he wasn't.

"Of course not, I'm going to find a way to turn invisible if it's the last thing I do!" Fuu just tilted her head in that same cutely innocent way that just spoke of how little she had been taught when she was younger.

"But didn't you just say it was impossible?" Naruto sighed slightly, leaning back on his hands and catching himself before he ran a hand through his hair; that was becoming somewhat of a habit lately.

"It's just the frustration talking. I know it's possible, that old pervert back in Yu no Kuni could do it. That's part of where I got the idea from in the first place." Fuu quirked an eyebrow but didn't say anything else, preferring to return to her scroll. She took solace in her reading; in fact most days they spent in Kumo now she would devote at least a few hours in the public library. To her it didn't particularly matter what she read, as long as it allowed her to escape her world and memories for just a few hours. She had particularly taken to fantasy novels, enjoying the action and otherworldly adventure the protagonists got up to.

In a way she could sometimes relate her own life to some of the stories; the lonely maiden in a destitute and unfair life, whisked away by the cavalier prince on a mystical adventure. Of course she didn't quite understand many of the aspects in these stories; the romance in particular both confounded and intrigued her. She didn't understand why people skirted around issues such as love or attraction. Then again, having never particularly felt those emotions, at least to her knowledge, she found she couldn't relate all that well.

She had a lot of time to read lately what with Naruto taking upon himself the crusade of becoming invisible. It was something he had been trying and finding only partial success in for the past two weeks. It was sometimes both amusing and incredible what the boy would come up with in attempt to circumvent vision. More so as his ideas become more and more ludicrous with each passing, and failing, attempt.

His first answer had obviously been Genjutsu; unfortunately there already existed many countermeasures to such methods. He had the Chakra control for it, as well as the imagination; however he just simply wasn't skilled enough to fool anybody above Chuunin level. It wasn't a fault of his own but the skill took a lot of time and dedication to master, time he didn't really have and couldn't replicate with shadow clones fast enough.

His next attempt had been slightly more basic, an adapted version of the henge that could literally change as he moved. It worked to an extent, he simply henged every part of his body into an image of what was behind him. Surprisingly the problem did not lie in the Chakra control, although it was extraordinarily high, it was the fact he could just simply not think quickly enough to compensate for the changing image. Therefore there was slight lag in the technique; it wasn't noticeable if he was moving slowly but it would give him away at even a normal walk.

Fuu had been interested in it however, even though she lacked the immense control required to use it, likening it to how a chameleon worked. That was when the blonde's next bout of inspiration hit, quickly summoning a chameleon to study only to be surprised to find they too had a summoning contract. Interestingly though their boss summon had not been seen in quite some time and their last summoner had died meaning the contract scroll itself was lost to them. Most had long since believed they would never be summoned again, prompting them to be quite accepting of the young monk.

He had studied with one of their kind for a while, a large chameleon by the name of Shiroshaku that was about the size of a large dog. Unfortunately the lizard had no real idea how their own pseudo-invisibility worked, it was more of an instinctual power like Naruto's Rinnegan abilities. However even though they became completely invisible and their Chakra signature vanished there still had a weak scent which mean they weren't completely undetectable if someone worked at trying to find them.

Near the end of that particular venture Shiroshaku had suggested Naruto could just summon a larger chameleon and hide inside of it. Needless to say Naruto quickly but politely turned that proposition down, saving it for a last, last resort. Even though it turned out to be a dead end Naruto had made rather good friends with the chameleons, promising that if he ever discovered their leader, Shiromari, he would do what he could to send him back home.

Next Naruto had turned to space-time Ninjutsu... that was quickly abandoned as well. He had quickly discovered that the sheer skill, time, and patience that went into creating such a complex and powerful technique was just staggering. His original intention was to create a technique that was able to somehow teleport the light hitting him to the other side of his body, effectively rendering him invisible to normal light.

However while that was a dead end, or at least such a long end that it might as well be dead, it did give him other ideas. Instead of subverting the light like he had planned he began to toy with the idea of bending light around his body. There were certain impracticalities associated with it though, highest on the list being that it would render him completely blind for the duration of the technique. Naturally no light hitting his body also meant no light hitting his eyes, meaning he wouldn't be able to see. He didn't expect a floating set of eyes would be all that discreet, however he stuck with the idea for a while.

He found there were actually a few ways to 'bend light' such as the fact it was subject to gravity like anything else in the universe. However the extra forces of gravity required to bend light to any useful degree would probably start rending the planet before he could get any use out of it; he put that in the Plan-B column. He also knew you could refract light through certain mediums; that in particular interested him.

For the first time in probably too long Naruto began to think about the properties of Chakra again. He supposed that it was a substance of sorts; it could be visible in high enough concentrations like a gas, it could flow and move like water, it could even be corrosive and poisonous at the extreme end of the spectrum. He began to experiment with it, manipulating his Chakra into a thin covering around his hands, trying to find the exact point when it became visible.

He had almost shouted out in victory as he noticed a slight distortion around his hand; the Chakra was actually refracting the light to a certain degree. Now it was just a matter of finding a point at which he could cloak his entire body in it, all at the correct angles that he would probably have to be adjusting on the fly as he moved... and therein lay his problem. He had certainly found a method of turning invisible, without the noticeable drawback of the others, but for once it was actually his control letting him down.

That was why he was currently on the verge of ripping his hair out in his training ground, his arm semi-translucent and rippling like water as he manipulated the Chakra covering it like a shroud. At least one good thing about this technique was that it didn't actually waste any Chakra, when he was finished he could simply re-absorb the thin layer around his body. It meant he could train literally as long as he was awake, which he had been doing for the past five days.

Right now he was actually thinking of ways he could extend how long he could stay awake; mostly to avoid having to think about the impossibly difficult task he had set himself. He sighed again in abject frustration as he lost control, more of his forearm returning to the visible spectrum. So far only his fingertips could stay completely invisible; it was actually rather unnerving as it looked like they had been chopped off. Right now though Naruto was just trying to extend the technique over his entire body, as opposed to just one arm.

It hadn't all just been one frustration after another though, Naruto had interestingly found out that at the perfect angle Chakra didn't just refract light. He couldn't explain the physics behind it, nor probably would he ever. But it seemed Chakra was a rather unique medium. Just like it technically lacked form until moulded or gathered in high enough quantities, it also lacked any kind of smell. That meant that when using the technique, if he could ever get it to work properly, he wouldn't just be rendered invisible, but nigh undetectable. Only sound or touch would give him away and Naruto could already use Chakra to muffle his movements to a certain degree.

Fuu looked up from her scroll as Naruto groaned in frustration yet again; she couldn't decide whether or not his determination in the face of such odds was amusing or admirable. She would never have the control to even attempt what the young monk was trying to do, never mind come up with the concept or a reasonable method to achieve it. Watching Naruto go through idea after idea without once even thinking of giving up had been somewhat of an eye-opener for her. She wanted that, she wanted a goal to believe in so much she would do anything to get it.

"Perhaps you just need to rest, give yourself some time to relax and think things through?" The verdette was actually rather surprised she had spoken, having preferred to stay quiet most of the time and simply observe the blonde as he practised. However he just looked so wound up and agitated that she couldn't help but intervene. She had seen it many times with Shinobi on teams she had been assigned to; frustration only led to a lack in concentration and that led to mistakes.

"I can't stop now. I know I'm close to a breakthrough." He spoke with such passion that it brought a small smile to the mint-haired Jinchuuriki's face. She tucked her scroll away, having already read it more than a few times through, and walked over to him, laying a soft hand on his shoulder.

"If you remain stressed you will only continue to frustrate yourself. After training one's muscles you must give them time to recuperate, the mind and the Chakra system are no different." Naruto was about to argue with the girl but there was something about the way she spoke that made him falter. She didn't speak with condescension or like she knew what was best for him, she only recommended as a friend with his best interests in heart. He sighed at her soft, steady voice and nodded with a small smile, getting to his feet and stretching out his stiff back with a satisfying click.

"Maybe you're right; I think I'll go for a walk. Omoi told me there are some impressive sights just outside of the village and with all this training I never really got around to checking them out." He grinned at the caramel-skinned girl, eliciting a warm feeling in her stomach she couldn't explain; it made her wonder it she was ill or something. She just nodded with a small smile and began to walk back to the temple, the only reason she was out her was to watch Naruto's progress; she much preferred to read somewhere quite and homely.

* * *

Naruto found himself wandering rather aimlessly; his thoughts were still transfixed on the problem that had been eluding him for the past week. He knew he was supposed to be relaxing for the express purpose of losing those thoughts, at least for a little while, but engrained habits don't break that easily. However as engrossed in his thoughts as he was he was still able to cast an appreciative eye about his surroundings.

It was one of the many places Omoi had recommended to him in their conversations, among various Onsen, a large hanging garden, one of the oldest shrines in the elemental nations and the enormous stadium where Kumo hosted their Chuunin exams. It was built out of the hollowed-out crater of a large dormant volcano. However Naruto had decided first to visit what had been affectionately dubbed the stone garden.

It was a network of enormous stone pillars that rose up out of an even larger lake, surrounded on all four sides by some of the largest mountains in Kaminari no Kuni. Some were pointed at the top while others were flat or even blossomed out like rocky mushrooms. It really was an impressive place to just wander through, especially considering Naruto had the luxury of simply walking across the water's surface. It gave him a unique perspective to look up at the towering pillars and spikes of stone.

He continued to wander and think, drawing a random path through the almost labyrinthine network of pillars until he found himself near the centre of the construct. He met a strange sight there, what looked to be possibly the remains of one of the stone pillars, a perfectly circular slab of rock just above the water level. Behind it a set of ornate stone steps with bight golden barriers flanking them as they climbed the mountain behind it to a small temple.

Curious, Naruto climbed the stairs, feeling the lingering Chakra of whoever had been training here. They were obviously very powerful to leave such dense Chakra hanging in the air for any amount of time. He stopped at the top, admiring the simple but well-maintained building with two canvas flaps flanking the doorway. Almost as soon as his foot touched the last step a man emerged from the building.

"Yo yo, It seems the mighty Killer Bee's got somebody up'n visiting me." Naruto raised an eyebrow at the very strange and obviously rather eccentric man before him. He had the traditional dark skin that most Kumo residents possessed as well as a large muscular build that offset his otherwise goofy appearance. He wore sunglasses with an almost all white-outfit including a flak jacket, scarf, headband, shin guards, and fingerless gloves. Other than that he wore dark blue pants and had the kanji for iron tattooed on his exposed shoulder.

"Hello, I didn't realise anybody was actually here, I thought the temple was empty." It was a small lie but he didn't need this man knowing he could sense the lingering Chakra in the air. Standing in front of him though Naruto realised why rather quickly, he was a Jinchuuriki; there was no disguising it; or at least the man lacked the control to disguise it. Bijuu Chakra was radiating from him in waves; he had obviously been practising with it recently.

"Man you must be a real out-of-towner, now ain't that a downer 'cause everybody would agree this is the home of the mighty Killer Bee!" As the man talked he would occasionally move his head or arms to a beat only he seemed to be able to hear, it was actually rather amusing.

"It's nice to meet you Kirabi." Naruto inclined his head slightly; it would do good to make a nice first impression on his fellow Jinchuuriki. Surprisingly though the large man placed a hand on his shoulders with a beaming grin on his bearded features.

"Now now little monk, get outta that funk 'cause there's no need for the pleasantry between us fellow Jinchuuriki, ya fool." He bobbed his head to the silent beat again making Naruto smirk before grinning sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Huh, really that obvious?" The large man just nodded with his own smirk, eyes sparkling with amusement behind his dark shades.

"Oh yeah, mighty Hachibi-sama's brewing up some real drama when he felt he host of mister nine approach our little shrine." Naruto raised a surprised eyebrow at that; he didn't realise he could not only detect he was a Jinchuuriki, but for which Bijuu. He was just glad the Kyuubi's presence seemed to override Shukaku's; that might have thrown up some awkward questions he wasn't sure how to answer. He wondered if the Kyuubi could sense his fellow Bijuu in the same way.

"So you can talk to the Hachibi?" Kirabi just nodded as he began to walk inside the temple, Naruto quickly following him. Inside it was surprisingly spacious, the entire room hollowed out of the mountain's stone. The blonde had a feeling Kirabi had not built this place himself, there were many murals on the wall; some of the Hachibi and a few of what he could only assume was the Nibi.

"Yeah yeah, me and Hachibi-sama have faced all kinds of trauma, we're partners you see making me the perfect Jinchuuriki, ya fool." Naruto ignored the last part as he thought about what he meant by a perfect Jinchuuriki and if he could attain that.

"So you and the Hachibi have a good relationship?" Kirabi nodded again in his strange manner with his arms crossed and his body leant back slightly.

"At first me and the Hachibi were all fighting and was ma enemy but we got ta some serious rappin' and I found out he didn't like I was trappin', wheeee!" Naruto just nodded, the Kyuubi had told him many times of his dislike of being caged inside a 'worthless Ningen'. "So we worked out a deal Hachibi-sama and me, and the rest is history 'cause we're the mighty eight tails and Killer Bee! Ya fool." The large man just stood there for a moment, as if basking in the cheers of some invisible crowd which the blonde actually found rather unnerving.

"So mister nine, you be looking mighty fine, why'd you come find the Killer Bee when last I heard you were in the big tree?" Naruto could only assume Kirabi meant Konoha by that; with his strange manner of talking he could only guess these things. He suddenly had an epiphany that this must be the Bee-sensei Omoi talked about... small world.

"Actually I had no idea you were here. A friend told me this place was a good spot to visit and I was frustrated about something so I came out here to relax." Kirabi just nodded again in that same eccentric manner as the two sat down on the floor, both in cross-legged positions. Naruto could tell from his ease at the position that the large Jinchuuriki was no stranger to meditation, at least if his posture was anything to go by. It may have also had something to do with finding a comfortable position to sit in with seven swords strapped to his back.

"Ain't no place fresher to clear your head and no place better to get ma rhymes read, wheee." Naruto just nodded he had noticed as he walked that the air just felt cleaner around here. It was like his mind had been in a haze before and it had only just begun to clear; he felt refreshed and rejuvenated after all the tension of the last week's training. The blonde looked up, unsure of how to broach his next topic; honestly he hadn't expected to run into one of the Jinchuuriki of the village so soon.

"So, how is it in Kumo?" It was an innocent question but he got a feeling Kirabi understood what the young monk was trying to say. In essence he was asking if the older Jinchuuriki had been mistreated; as far as the blonde could tell having to come so far out of the village for peace wasn't a good sign.

"Well ain't that cute, little nine be worried about the Killer Bee. Well you don't have to because nobody would be hurtin' on me! Ya fool." Naruto just nodded with a pleasant smile, it was good to meet at least one Jinchuuriki who wasn't hated by their village. His previous conceptions about Kumo before coming hadn't been all that good, tainted by Konoha propaganda. There were the last wars, the Hyuuga incident, and a few others that put them in a bad light in Konoha. However after living there he realised it was just like everywhere else, with people just trying to get by in life.

"I'm glad." Bee nodded in his half-sagely, half-rapper way, looking off at some invisible crowd even though Naruto knew his eyes were firmly on the blonde beneath his shades.

"Yo little monk, you look a little down, you saying it was the Leaf that made you frown?" Naruto just smiled wanly as he leaned back on his hands; he hadn't had any contact with Konoha in over five years. With a start he realised it had really been that long since he had run away from his former home.

"No, I have a good life, strong bonds with my friends, and a stubborn but at least knowledgeable fox in my gut. Anyway, I've mostly been on the road for the past year, the Leaf hasn't had anything to do with my frowns for a long time." He chuckled at that but kept it as vague as he could; he wanted to trust his fellow Jinchuuriki but this wasn't Fuu. Kirabi did not hate his village and was in turn not hated, he had to remember that. While he did not agree with the whole 'balance of power' the Bijuu represented he at least acknowledged this and didn't want to start a war between Kumo and Konoha.

"That's tight yo, a good friend on your back that can help take the flak is all you need, wheee!" Naruto just nodded with a small smile before standing up, Kirabi copying the action.

"I know this is asking a lot, but is there any way the Raikage won't find out about me being here. I don't want to cause a war or anything." Kirabi just smirked as he moved forward, arms still crossed over his chest.

"Na man, we cool, anything else would just be cruel. Gotta stay tight with ma fellow Jinchuuriki or my name ain't the mighty Killer Bee! Wheeee! You don't gotta worry about ma bro finding out, it's like you were never here without a doubt!" He finished by moving his hand across his mouth in a zipping motion before holding his hand out, fist clenched with the knuckles facing Naruto. The blonde just gave a smile of his own before bumping fists with the eccentric, but at least friendly Kumo Shinobi.

"It was really good meeting you Kirabi, it's nice to see a Jinchuuriki having a good life." Kirabi just nodded, sporting a similar smile as opposed to his usual grin. The two stayed and talked a little while longer, sometimes about training, sometimes about Kirabi's rapping; Naruto even mentioned Fuu to him and the older Jinchuuriki expressed that he would like to meet another of their small group. Naruto had parted with the dark-skinned Shinobi promising to bring Fuu around some time; he honestly thought the girl needed more people to talk to besides him and Shizuku.

Naruto left the stone garden feeling oddly lighter, refreshed and relaxed in comparison to how he felt earlier. He had a small but genuine smile on his face as he wandered back to the temple.

* * *

It seemed a bit of rest was exactly what Naruto needed, in the next week he made astounding progress in his technique. He could now effectively cover his entire body in a thin layer of refractive Chakra, now all he needed to do was work on refining it to reduce his visibility entirely. However as it was he was undetectable by most means, his Chakra signature vanished, he couldn't be smelled and when he applied a soft layer of Chakra to his feet he couldn't be heard by probably anyone less than an Inuzuka.

All in all he was rather satisfied with his self-created technique; for the first time he felt like he was doing something for himself as opposed to just following in somebody else's footprints. It was liberating and Naruto wanted to continue the feeling; he figured it would only get better once he had completed the technique. He had a lot of fun sneaking up on his companions and startling them which continued to irk Fuu.

Surprisingly he seemed to have sparked something in her after one of his little pranks and she had resolved to find a way of counteracting Naruto's invisibility. The blonde was actually rather glad, she had been a little aimless recently and now she had a fire behind her eyes and purpose in her step. It was relieving to see Fuu finally doing something other than just sit around and read or spar; although she didn't stop doing those either.

He just hoped the verdette didn't take it too far, as he wandered through the shopping district earlier he had heard a few people talking about a sudden insect problem. They didn't need attention drawn to them when they were about to commit a crime against the village. However it did spark Naruto's own curiosity about how the girl might go about finding somebody who couldn't be seen smelt or heard.

He had also kept his promise and taken Fuu to meet Kirabi; he couldn't say the two were instant friends but they seemed to have an understanding. Kirabi knew never to stray too close to her past and in turn Fuu never commented on her annoyance with the way the older Jinchuuriki talked. Kirabi had offered them both a few pointers on controlling their Bijuu Chakra however they had both declined.

Naruto felt uncomfortable taking the Kyuubi's Chakra when he was finally starting to see some change in the fox. He wanted to build a better foundation in the relationship between them before he went after anything like that. That was if he even needed it, the Sage of the Six Paths defeated the Juubi under his own power; Naruto had his goal already in mind. Fuu on the other hand already had experience with her inner power; she just didn't want anything to do with it anymore. Taki had controlled her and the creature inside of her for too long; she would become strong under her own power, not on what she borrowed from somebody, or something, else.

Other than that the last week had gone rather well, they all seemed in high spirits; although Naruto would emphasise 'seemed'. He had noticed something was up with Shizuku lately which was why he was currently up on the roof of the temple with her, lying back on the ceramic tiles and staring up at the sky. They had both sat in relative silence for the last five minutes, just content to allow their eyes to roam between the various pinpricks of light.

"How many do you think there are? Stars I mean." It had been so quiet that Naruto was nearly startled when Shizuku suddenly spoke up, her soft melancholic tone affirming his suspicions she was not as happy as she appeared. He didn't turn, just kept his eyes up at the darkened sky, mostly focused on the intense white disk hanging up there.

"I don't know, but I bet people have tried to count them." Shizuku absently nodded, her eyes not straying from the sky either.

"I still can't believe how beautiful it looks." Naruto smiled softly, Shizuku really hadn't been happier than their time in Kumo, being able to see the sky as opposed to dreary rain clouds was still just amazing to her now as it was the first day.

"You know, sometimes I still think that, even after all these years." It was true, there was just something peaceful about the sky; to look up at it and know that everybody else in the world saw the exact same stars, the same moon; the greatest equaliser.

"Do you think I'll always have this curse?" Naruto sighed, suddenly realising why Shizuku seemed so sad recently behind her happy demeanour. She was worried about leaving Kumo, returning to her place under the clouds where it could rain on her again. She didn't want the sky to be taken away from her now that that she had a taste.

"No." Shizuku sat up and looked around, a little surprised at the firmness in Naruto's tone; it was so definite, so certain. The blonde also sat up, turning to Shizuku with a small but confident smile.

"What makes you so certain?" Her voice was quiet, unsure, contrasting greatly with Naruto's more secure tone. The blonde just smiled as he got up and moved closer the girl, sitting back down with an exaggerated sigh.

"Remember the promise I made to you?" He turned with the most brilliant and genuine smile Shizuku had ever seen on his face. "I never go back on my promises, one day you will be able to look up at the sky whenever you want and see the stars, or the sun." He turned back to the sky, the smile settling down but not losing any of its previous energy. "Hell, if I have to I'll just take you to Kaze no Kuni, even if it rains you'll just be doing the residents a favour." They both chuckled at that, Shizuku finally gaining some confidence in herself, but more importantly, in Naruto.

"Thanks Naruto." The blonde just waved her off sheepishly, his smile becoming slightly more embarrassed; he still didn't do well with positive interaction with people.

"It's no problem, you're my friend." He was surprised when Shizuku grabbed his head, tuning it so she could look him in the eye. She hesitated for a moment as his faintly glowing purple orbs locked gazes with her own before shaking her head quickly and smiling.

"No really, without you I would still be in that bandit camp, or sold off to some slavers..." She shuddered a little as her features once again became melancholic. "...Or worse." Naruto just lay a comforting hand on her shoulder which instantly brought her back around. "But you saved me, saved me and showed me things I never believed I would ever get to see." Her smile became a grin as she made a sweeping gesture to the sky. "Case and point." They both chuckled again before Shizuku brought Naruto's head back around to face her.

"So thank you Naruto." With that she leant forward and planted a small chaste kiss on his lips. When they parted both their faces had a tint of red in them and Shizuku was smiling lightly. Naruto was a little dazed by the contact which made the violette giggle as she got to her feet carefully and climbed down. Naruto spent another ten minutes up on the roof just thinking about things, not even noticing the absent smile playing across his lips.


	23. Lightning IV

**Mou mou, Digi doesn't own Naruto, but he's still my cute little student**

* * *

**Sage**

_"If you're going through hell, keep going." – Winston Churchill_

* * *

The darkened and quiet back room of a small inauspicious temple somewhere near the usually bustling centre of Kumogakure a single pair of glowing Rinnegan eyes cracked open. They appeared out of seemingly nowhere, just floating there at the centre of the room, as if suspended by strings. It was only the faintest ripple across an almost invisible surface that gave any sign they were attached to a body of any kind.

A set of shining white teeth appeared in grin that would put the Cheshire cat to shame as the air rippled slightly again. Through his clones eyes Naruto observed the area where he knew his actually body was. He was more than pleased to say that his Chakra signature was completely gone, as if covered by some insubstantial screen. In fact, even with his Rinnegan, he was sure he would never spot himself unless he knew exactly where to look.

At least he hoped that was the case as he planned on taking the artefacts tonight. If everything went to plan he would sneak into the Raikage's office, a daunting task in of itself, find out where the Sage's possessions were kept and quickly leave Kumo with it. Hopefully he could do all of that without being detected long enough for he and his friends to leave the country, or at least the area around Kumo, safely.

Fuu and Shizuku, along with a clone of Naruto, had left the village earlier in the day. Luckily it had been enough to fool the guards as they were less concerned by people leaving than those that might be trying to break into their village. They hadn't been all that happy with leaving Naruto in the village alone, especially Shizuku, but without being able to perform the invisibility technique they couldn't offer much aid anyway.

Shizuku had been especially worried for him he had noticed, her gaze constantly flickering to him as they left. Ever since the kiss up on the roof almost a week before things had become... not awkward, but different between them. They started to read into actions that before had seemed perfectly normal and innocent and Naruto had begun to over think just about everything when it came to his purple-haired companion.

Even so he had ritualistically cleared his mind of all distractions tonight; he would need it for his technique. He found that the use of his camouflage technique was surprisingly dependant on his emotions as they directly tied in with how agitated his Chakra was. The thin shroud around his body needed to remain near the perfect angles to properly refract the light so any slight disturbances could give him away to any sensors or those with a keen nose.

Another problem that might give him away was sound, however he had been practising his ability to remain silent and, as a monk, he was rather proficient at it. His main concern would be his shakujou that, despite Fuu's protests and concerns, he had insisted on taking with him. The jingling of the rings alone proved it wasn't the stealthiest tool but it would be useful as a suppressant if he was actually caught. Anyway, Fuu wouldn't have been able to carry it out of the village with her all the way to their rendezvous point; even she lacked the Chakra for that. Of course Naruto had conveniently not reminded her that his clones shared his ability to use the Preta Path.

Naruto stepped out of the temple, the darkness of the moonless night casting the village around him into shadow. He wore a long shapeless cloak over his usual clothes; the technique was much easier with less angles to work with in the form of his arms and legs. The hood was pulled up over his face; just in case his technique failed he didn't want to be recognised. He also wore a mask over the lower half of his face to again try and smooth out any angles on his body.

"Boidogakure no Jutsu." His voice was barely a whisper as, starting from his feet; his body quickly vanished from sight, only a slight ripple remaining in the air that was disguised by the darkness. His trip through the village was uneventful, if not highly nerve-wracking; he had tested his Jutsu a few times on Fuu and Shizuku but there was a large difference between them and skilled Jounin. He stuck to the streets in case he were to have a run in with any roof-hopping Shinobi out late.

While it provided him with better cover it meant his trip was slow-going; he at least didn't have to deal with any crowds. Kumo had a strict curfew enacted after midnight, only Shinobi were allowed out and even they needed a valid reason if any suspicion was drawn to them by the ANBU. Even with all that it took around ten minutes for Naruto to reach the Raikage tower, jutting out on its lofty mountain perch.

The climb up the winding staircase to the building itself was even worse than the trip through the village. The stairs were wide enough for two people, but only barely. If anybody came down in the opposite direction he would have to press himself up against the wall of the mountain and hope they didn't brush past him. He might have tried to climb straight up the mountain side but he didn't quite trust himself to keep his invisibility Jutsu up while surface-clinging; at least not yet.

Finally, with a small and he hoped inaudible sigh of relief he crested the last step, quickly ducking into the building. Unfortunately he knew that was the easy part, now he actually had to infiltrate a Kage's office, undetected. His progress through the tower was slow going as he was forced to skirt around a few Shinobi and office-workers on their late shift. However he finally reached the door to the Raikage's office, it said as much in large golden lettering printed on the door.

To the right of the office was a small but tidy desk; a large stack of what seemed to be completed paperwork lay to one side while a woman's head occupied the other. She was a woman in her late twenties with the dark skin that was so prevalent for Kumo and contrasting silver hair. Due to her position passed out on the desk Naruto couldn't make out much more than that about her but the small name placard on the desk read 'Mabui'. Obviously she had been working late to complete all the paperwork and had fallen asleep right there at her desk when she was finished.

Naruto didn't mind, it just made his job easier as he quickly slipped inside the office, softly closing the door behind him without so much as a click. He turned around only to nearly cry out in surprise, nearly biting down on his tongue to quell the potential give away. The Raikage was sat at his desk, grunting with each rep on his barbell as his other hand hastily scribbled across various forms on the desk. Naruto breathed a small and once again silent sigh of relief that he hadn't been noticed.

Looking around he noted the fact there were no ANBU in the room; he found that strange. Even though it was the Kage, the strongest person in the village, he would have thought the man might want some protection. Was his ego that large? The blonde just slowly skirted around the back of the room, making absolutely sure he was making no sound whatsoever. The brawny man at the desk didn't seem to notice anything amiss.

Naruto hadn't gone into this blind, he knew very well the prowess of the Yondaime Raikage; he was the current fastest man alive now that the Yondaime Hokage was dead. He was supposed to be peerless in Taijutsu and speed and his Lightning Cloak was said to make him nearly invulnerable to harm, even from most wind attacks, despite it being the superior element in the cycle. Naruto had no misconception, the man before him could crush him before he could even realise what was happening which was why the element of surprise was so important.

Slowly, slower than he had ever moved in his life, the young blonde crept up behind the enormous Kage, gently raising his shakujou in front of him, base level with the dark-skinned man's neck. And just like that it was over; he gently tapped the man's neck with the base of his staff. The Raikage's eyes lit up in a mix between alarm and rage before rolling back as he slumped forward onto his desk. To all the world it would simply look like he had fallen asleep and there would be nothing about his body to say otherwise; however he would have a rather nasty headache in the morning.

Naruto's body slumped forward as all the tension left him; that was a stressful situation he would rather not repeat. The man must have been seriously overworked or tired at the moment because Naruto just couldn't believe he had just pulled off that he had. Before his ego could swell any he quickly reminded himself of why he was here, moving to the back of the room where a row of filing cabinets lined the wall and quickly disabling the seal guarding them.

Hurriedly skimming along them with alert and anxious eyes he stopped, nodding once before pulling out the 'S' cabinet, He flicked through the many manila folders he found until finally pulling out the one marked 'Sage'. He scanned the document as fast as he was physically able, not wanting to be in this room for any longer than he needed to be, committing most of it to memory as a frown passed over his features. He slipped it back in where he found it and silently shut the cabinet, thankful it moved without squeaking.

He cast one more curious glance around the spacious office, noticing with an amused smirk that two of the windows that overlooked the village were smashed in, seemingly from the inside. He had heard rumours of the Raikage's eccentric manner of leaving rooms but he hadn't really believed them before now. He made his way over, looking out over the peacefully dozing village with a small smirk. He just shrugged his shoulders once before launching himself from the jagged hole, suppressing his urge to cry out in exhilaration.

* * *

Another stealthy walk through the village and Naruto found himself staring at the tightly locked entrance to the museum. Apparently Kumo thought they were safe in the knowledge the artefacts on display were fakes, the real ones were actually kept in an underground storage facility beneath the museum. Unfortunately for Naruto that only meant one of the artefacts, the Kohaku no Jouhei; all the others had been lost to Kumo with the defection of Ginkaku and Kinkaku, Kumo's gold and silver brothers.

He didn't know much more than that, about the artefacts location or the brothers because their files were in a different cabinet and the blonde had felt he was pressing his luck as it was. For now he would look for information on the two elsewhere and instead focus on the remaining treasure Kumo still possessed. He slipped inside the museum only to immediately pull back out again as quickly as he dared.

He had nearly walked right into two patrolling Shinobi, a tall blonde-haired one he recognised as Shee and another dark-skinned one he didn't recognise. Shee's partner wore the traditional Kumo flak jacket over a dark high-collared shirt that brushed the edges of his messy white hair. He had an overall bored demeanour, reminding Naruto somewhat of an older Omoi, except much deadlier if his confidant stance and large sword said anything.

Naruto flattened himself against the museum wall as the two walked out, seemingly on a routine patrol. However the blonde blanched as Shee suddenly stopped with a frown on his face as he looked around the area. Naruto nearly ran for it when the man's eyes drifted over him; it may have been a trick of the fading light but the blonde could have sworn the Kumo Shinobi's gaze lingered on his position for a moment.

"What is it Shee?" The blonde's partner tried to look at where his teammate was so intensely staring but saw nothing but the wall of the museum they had been patrolling. The light-skinned ninja just stared a moment longer with a frown before shaking his head dismissively.

"It's nothing Darui, just thought I sensed something for a moment, but it was weak, probably just a rat or something." The bored-looking man just shrugged as he turned to continue their patrol route; he hated the museum, it was too dull for him. Shee lingered a moment longer, casting a backwards glance at the spot he swore he had sensed something in. It was the briefest flicker of a Chakra signature, no larger than a small mammal but just the fact it vanished so quickly disconcerted him.

Inside the museum Naruto panted, releasing the pent up breath he had been holding as Shee intently stared at the position he had been standing. He had taken the first opportunity to move as he could, the moment the Shinobi looked away to talk with his teammate. While it was good to know his technique could stand up to an obviously powerful sensor-type he didn't want to go through something so nerve-wracking again. He had no intention of fighting his way out of Kumo and no illusions he would make it on his own power.

He let out another sigh before righting himself, quickly making his way through the various levels of the museum, disabling the various security seals he came across. It would leave a sure trail of where he had been but he had no intention of staying long enough for any Kumo-nin to capitalise on it. Once again he passed through the fake artefact display, casting a slight glance at the large and false pot, replicating the object he was here to steal.

He had actually fought a rather long and painful struggle with his conscious in order to go through with this. Technically the Kohaku no Jouhei was a part of his legacy, however it was technically Kumo's property. Then again they weren't really using it; it had only ever been used to seal the Hachibi away between Jinchuuriki anyway. Right now they had Kirabi and he was as stable a Jinchuuriki as they came, minus the strange fixation with rapping.

Even then over four years of monk teaching had been hard to suppress in order to do this, however if he wanted to understand more about his ancestor, with Kyuubi so unwilling to talk, he needed to study the man's possessions. These thoughts kept him occupied as he snuck into the maintenance area of the museum only to be faced by two standing Shinobi in front of a large vault-like door. Unfortunately for them Naruto didn't approach them with nearly the trepidation he did the Raikage and soon they were on the floor, blissfully snoring in unconsciousness; sometimes he just loved his shakujou.

It took him surprisingly little time to break through the many complicated and numerous seals covering the surface of the storage facility's door. All seals really did share the same flaw that made them so useless against him; it would be amusing if he wasn't completely nullifying one of the most prestigious fields of the Shinobi arts. After about five minutes all the seals were drained and succinctly useless, the door sliding open like it was covered in grease.

Naruto's eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets as he gazed into the room, it was filled to the brim with shelves upon shelves of ancient artefacts. The time periods seem to range from the Third Shinobi War stretching back way beyond the warring clans period. It was truly an impressive sight, but not one that would detract Naruto from his goal. It was sitting rather high up on one of the larger and sturdier shelves, in order to accommodate its weight.

'_The Sage of the Six Paths really lugged that thing around? Seems rather impractical.' _His thoughts weren't all that wrong, the pot itself came up to his waist and when he lifted it he nearly threw his back out from the strain. He carefully set it back down, wiping his forehead a little and suddenly realising he had miscalculated slightly. He wasn't sure if his technique would be able to envelop the large sealing pot completely. A giant floating purifying pot wasn't exactly discreet after all.

However before that he looked intently at the large lighting kanji inscribed on the pot, re-confirming that it had been added later. Not only that but it contained a few seals worked into the ink; he couldn't tell what they did but he could only assume it was for tracking the pot, especially after the other tools had been stolen. It only took him a moment to remove the seal, watching with a little satisfaction as the ink dried up and peeled off leaving the pot unblemished, as it should be.

With a grunt of exertion and a healthy amount of Chakra reinforcing his muscles the young monk managed to manoeuvre the pot onto his back, groaning slightly from its weight. Luckily for him though his technique was just about able to cover both him and the pot, although he was seriously stressing his control now. He was just lucky the Kohaku no Jouhei was mostly smooth or his technique might not have been enough; that would have been awkward.

After another quick trip through the museum Naruto once again found himself outside, the cold mountainous air brisk against his skin. He jostled the large artefact on his back into a more comfortable position before setting off into the village, feeling somewhat like a snail with his pace and the large object on his back. This time he passed a few Shinobi in the streets, doing his best to avoid them and mostly relying on his technique to see him through to the village's gates.

However he failed to notice one Kunoichi in particular as he passed her; her ears twitched ever so slightly and she gently sniffed the air with a curious and slightly confused expression.

* * *

Naruto panted slightly in a large rocky clearing some distance from the village; it was about a mile away from the rendezvous he had agreed on with Fuu, a small village to the south of Kumo. He straightened up, stretching out his spine with a few wonderful cracks that left him with a contented grin. He had dropped the invisibility technique by now, instead devoting the Chakra to his arms, legs and back in order to support the Kohaku no Jouhei better.

His relaxed posture went rigid though as an almost sixth-sense like ability kicked in, allowing him to turn in time to halt three kunai aimed for his back as if they had struck some invisible surface. He blinked in surprise, not having detected anybody following him all this time. Nonetheless a woman dropped down from her lofty perch in the rocks above him, her long, tied-up blonde hair fluttering in the wind as she fell.

"Well that was an impressive technique, especially for a monk." Naruto immediately recognised her as the rather playful Kunoichi he had met on the first day in Kumo, Yugito if he remembered her name right. The smaller blonde just grinned cheekily, placing the pot down on the ground with a small thud. It wasn't like the woman could just pick up the pot and go, it was too heavy and Chakra-draining. Even so, the same applied to him, he knew it would either be suppress this woman or abandon the sealing pot, not both.

"Trade secret I'm afraid." Yugito smirked outwardly, however inside was a different story as her gaze drifted to the Kohaku no Jouhei. She had followed her instinct on a hunch, her enhanced hearing picking up very soft footfalls from where she couldn't see anybody walking. There was also a scent she could detect but it was almost like somebody was suppressing it like one might their Chakra, which just sounded ludicrous.

"Hmmm, I guess I'll have fun working the answers out of you," She licked her lips seductively in an attempt to throw the boy off a little; disappointedly it seemed he wasn't effected at all; he was all business right now. Naruto just grinned, slowly gathering his Chakra around him in preparation for anything the woman could throw; he just hoped there wasn't any back up waiting.

"You can try." Along that same line of thought Yugito now wished she had brought back-up; she always was too brash for her own good as Darui-sensei would tell her. When the boy had finally dropped whatever invisibility technique he was using, which impressed her for one so young, she finally saw why he was running away. At first it had amused her, simply thinking the boy would drop from his Chakra being drained after a few minutes. However he had just kept going, he didn't even look tired now and he had been running with the pot for about an hour. Just the thought of how large his Chakra reserves must be almost frightened the Jounin.

"Oh I intend to little monk." Deciding not to play around anymore Yugito quickly flared her Chakra; almost instantly her nails grew out about a foot in length, sharp as razors. She dropped into her four-legged stance the same moment Naruto moved into his own after planting his shakujou into the ground.

"Mizu no Mai." Yugito cocked her head a little, noticing that the stance was eerily reminiscent of the Hyuuga Taijutsu style from Konoha; however this boy did not look like one, although she could not see his eyes. She rushed forward, lashing out with her claws in a very straightforward, but very fast lunge that was supposed to leave the boy impaled on her claws. She would like to play around with him a little but stealing precious artefacts from Kumo was a serious offense.

Naruto surprised her by moving with unbelievable grace, slipping to the right of her attack and almost gently nudging her clawed hands up and away from his body. When she rounded she noticed Naruto raise an eyebrow at her in curiosity that quickly shifted to understanding.

"You're a Jinchuuriki aren't you? For the Nibi right?" Yugito faltered in the attack she was about to perform, looking at the young blonde incredulously. She quickly shook her head of the surprise; her status wasn't exactly secret in Kumo, at least to the Shinobi, and if this boy could find out where the Kohaku no Jouhei was kept he could quite easily gain information like that. She recovered in time to launch a quick offensive, this time being more measured in her movements.

She came forward with a barrage of lethal slashes, making sure to keep her footing light and mobile so she could attack from many angles. However the boy's body flowed like water, she couldn't even touch him. Occasionally he would use a hand to divert her away from the wrist and each time she came away she felt oddly tired. Deciding to take a different approach she leapt back, flashing through hand signs in the air to finish on the tiger seal.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" With that she breathed out an enormous stream of bright blue flames that took the shape of an enormous sphere. She watched as it barrelled down on the young monk, making her smirk as she prepared for her next attack. However she watched on, surprised as the boy made no effort to dodge in anyway, quickly being engulfed by the technique. Yugito just shook her head in wonder, she had been sure the blonde would be able to dodge that, it wasn't the fastest technique even if it was supercharged by the Nibi. She had planned on him dodging so she could catch him in the air where he couldn't dodge.

"Shinra Tensei." In her shock she had let her guard down slightly; even if she hadn't little could have prepared her for the enormous wall of invisible force that crashed into her body. She flew limply through the air, watching as the sphere of flame dwindled down to nothing, absorbed into Naruto's outstretched palm as his other was pointed towards her. Luckily her reflexes kicked in, allowing her to twist impossibly in the air to land back down on all fours in a pose that reminded Naruto of a cat; it was fitting he supposed.

Yugito made the logical leap that any of her other fire techniques would be just as effective as the first and given the fact Naruto only had a few singes on his clothes, she didn't think that was very. Just to be sure though she began to run forward, keeping a trained eye on Naruto's hands in case he tried that repulsion move again. As she ran her hands flashed through seals that while Naruto's Rinnegan could clearly see, and memorise, would be just a blur to a most.

"Raiton: Gian!" She held out both palms in front of her and immediately a bolt of pure lightning shot out like a laser, on a direct course with Naruto's body. It was so bright that the surroundings actually seemed to dim in comparison with the vibrant white bolt. Naruto simply stood there, once again making no effort to dodge the technique. This time her vision was unobstructed so Yugito was clearly able to see the Jutsu get absorbed once it reached a certain distance from his body.

"Wow, now that's impressive. So are all Ninjutsu just as effective on you?" Naruto's only reply was a slight smirk as he raised his hand up; he didn't call out the name this time but Yugito was ready nonetheless. However she just happened to be ready for the wrong technique; instead of dodging the invisible wall of force like she had planned she suddenly found her body moving towards the blonde against her will at a shocking speed. She tried to twist her body and claws to use this sudden momentum to her advantage but Naruto seemed to pre-empt this.

He twisted his body out of her path at the last moment, her claws uselessly scraping air as he dropped the technique, allowing her forward momentum to carry her straight into a large boulder. However she wasn't a Jinchuuriki for nothing, her durability outright beat most elite Jounin and she was able to quickly jump to her feet, agile eyes scanning for danger. However Naruto was just standing there, arms crossed at the centre of the clearing with perfectly even breathing, he didn't even looked remotely tired.

If anything he looked slightly more refreshed than when they had started fighting; unfortunately Yugito couldn't say the same. Usually she would have energy to spare in fights but those mysterious touches of his seemed to just leech away her energy. That wasn't to say she was out just yet but with his ability to absorb Ninjutsu and her inability to get close, unless he wanted her to, she found herself rather stuck. She was always appalling at Genjutsu, she lacked the control for it and had never even touched on Fuinjutsu, that was heavily discouraged by the Raikage for obvious, but not unjustifiable reasons.

"Heh Gaki, you're pretty good I'll give you that. Unfortunately I have some stuff to do back home so I'll be wrapping this up now." She felt slightly humiliated that she had been forced to use her trump card against a kid that probably hadn't hit his teens yet. Unfortunately in the Shinobi world you just had to acknowledge there were opponents that were both younger and stronger than you even if such a fact stung your pride more than just a bit. Naruto just watched on in interest, curious to see what the other blonde would do against him.

Yugito suddenly dropped down on all fours, Chakra radiating from her body like a beacon as blue flames began to lick her skin. The sheer pressure snapped the bandages holding her long ponytail together, allowing her hair to flair wildly about her. Naruto was slightly worried now, however not because of the copious quantities of Chakra radiating off of her, the more Chakra she used the more Chakra he could absorb. No, it was because with all this Bijuu Chakra being thrown around Kumo was sure to have noticed. You didn't have to be a sensor to feel this, no more than you needed great eyesight to sense if the sun was out.

However Yugito managed to surprise him, instead of using the Bijuu cloak like he imagined she might after hearing about it from Fuu, she instead erupted into an enormous sphere of blue flames. And there, standing before him a few moments later in all its flaming glory was the Nibi no Nekomata, staring at him with one green eye and one yellow. Naruto just stood there, observing it for a moment as it exhaled a huge fireball, much larger than the one Yugito produced.

Of course Naruto just stood there and took it as Chakra, no matter where it came from or how dense it was, was still Chakra. Then again he wouldn't like to test that theory against anything like a Bijuudama; from what he had heard from Fuu and her training with the violent attack, it was rather nasty. All he knew was that after training with it for the first time, Tani no Kuni had a few extra valleys to its name.

When the Nibi realised its attack had no effect it roared at Naruto aggressively, ready to charge forward and crush him with its tails. Naruto just stood there uncaringly, he had a lot worse from the Kyuubi whose Chakra was both more potent and more terrifying. However before it could attack Naruto opened his eyes, fully; the enormous cat immediately stopped, staring into those rippled eyes like it was hypnotised.

Naruto had been prepared to throw it back towards Kumo if he had to but stopped himself as the flaming cloak began to receded, the enormous feline dissipating into blue flames. All that was left was a panting and weary Yugito in the centre of a still smoking crater, her head lolling about tiredly. She just looked up at Naruto's calm unscathed form as he walked towards her, a hint of fear appearing in her eyes before she succumbed to the stress of using her Bijuu's Chakra and fell unconscious.

Naruto was about to grab the Kohaku no Jouhei and high-tail it out of there but looked back at Yugito's prone form. He estimated Kumo Shinobi would reach his position in just under forty minutes. With a brief internal debate he nodded resolutely, that was enough time.


	24. Lightning V

**... Digi does not own Naruto ...**

* * *

**Sage**

_"Friendship is a single soul dwelling in two bodies." - Aristotle_

* * *

Shizuku was worriedly pacing the small shack they were in; it was old and in terrible disrepair but it at least had a roof and wasn't going to fall apart any time soon. Fuu was just curled up in the corner, a book on her lap as her eyes skimmed across the pages absently. In honesty she wasn't actually reading, she hadn't turned a page in over an hour, however she wasn't the type to pace out of worry.

"He's taking too long, something must have gone wrong." Fuu just looked up a moment, her deep orange eyes peering over the top of her book before flitting back down.

"You're worrying too much, Naruto-san is strong and you know how good that technique of his is." Shizuku nodded with a frown but didn't stop pacing; her footsteps seemed to fall in time with the rain outside, pattering lightly on the wooden shack.

"But what if something went wrong? Or his control slipped? Or somebody bumped into him? Or Kumo has some really powerful sensor-type? Or-" She stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder; Fuu had moved across the room without her even noticing, her book conspicuously absent.

"Naruto-san is strong." Her eyes were steady and determined; it was a wide-leap from her usually expressionless mask. Shizuku had noticed that the only times Fuu seemed to gain any kind of emotion was when she was talking about Naruto or a book she was particularly interested in. The violette nodded again sadly; no matter how confident Fuu's words were she would always worry about Naruto if she could.

"Well, I might not go as far as strong, but I do my best." The two girls spun so quickly Naruto feared they might have left burn marks in the floor. He was standing there, dripping wet, with the Kohaku no Jouhei by his side and a sly smirk on his face.

"Naruto-kun!" He suddenly found himself bowled over by a flying purple blur that left him in a heap in the floor with an excited and relieved Shizuku straddling his chest.

"Wow, what a warm welcome." He grinned slightly as Shizuku blushed and quickly dismounted him, backing away with red staining her pale face. The blonde got up, looking around the small tattered shack the girls had been staying in. The wooden planks holding it together seemed worn but not mouldy and everything was tinged with a hint of moisture. Marseru seemed to like it the most, hanging lazily from a high rafter by his tail and looking down on the new arrival with the occasional curious chitter.

"So this is the Kohaku no Jouhei?" Fuu looked at the large stone pot curiously, briefly wondering how Naruto had managed to lug something this large all the way out here from Kumo. She touched it experimentally, feeling how her Chakra was immediately absorbed into it like Naruto's shakujou. "It's definitely one of the Sage's tools." Naruto just nodded as he patted the enormous purifying pot on the side.

"So how does it work?" It was Shizuku who asked, staring curiously at the unassuming, but definitely old-looking sealing pot. Naruto raised a hand up with his mouth open, only to frown and look back around at it.

"Actually, I have no idea." Shizuku and Fuu immediately sweat-dropped as the blonde sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess you just open it?" Fuu raised an eyebrow at that as Naruto went to lift the small wooden lid covering the pot.

"Isn't that dangerous?" Naruto just waved her off as he tentatively raised the lid just a crack. All three were holding their breath at this point as Naruto moved the lid further and further up. Finally he pulled up to reveal... exactly what was supposed to be inside of a purifying pot, a dark nameless liquid. Naruto just stared at it for a moment, half expecting it to do something; when it didn't he just shrugged and replaced the lid.

"Is it broken?" Shizuka was curiously looking over the large stone container, careful not to touch it though. She had learned that she had larger than normal reserves for her age, but nowhere near enough to hold Naruto's staff for more than a few minutes. Again Naruto just shrugged, he probably should have learned how the pot worked before taking it; that was an error in hindsight.

"How are we going to carry it around? It's hardly inconspicuous." Again Naruto drew a blank, suddenly realising how little he had thought this through. It had seemed so simple before, or at least as simple as stealing a highly prized artefact from both the Raikage's office and a secure vault in Kumo could be. It wasn't like they could share the burden, only Naruto and Fuu could carry it safely, and in her case it wasn't for all that long; maybe an hour at maximum.

"Well damn." Naruto slumped to the floor, seriously considering the possibility of just cutting their losses, leaving the Kohaku no Jouhei and just running for it. He was sure by now Yugito would have woken up and that meant they knew who had stolen the artefact and would be scouring the area for them. In a fit of frustration Naruto smacked the pot with his staff, only to join Fuu and Shizuku in watching amazedly as the pot shrunk before their very eyes. The stone seemed to contract on itself, any slight cracks that had been there before fading away as the entire artefact condensed into a small pot that might fit in somebody's palm, the thick white rope now better resembling string.

"Well... that's convenient." Naruto just blinked as it suddenly made a lot more sense for the Sage to carry this around as opposed to its hulking counterpart. It made him wonder if the other artefacts had different forms they could turn into; it made him look at his staff appraisingly. Fuu just nodded with a sceptical eyebrow, wondering where that fit of luck came from.

"Suspiciously so." Naruto just shrugged with a pleasant smile, picking the now considerably smaller pot up from the floor. Right now it didn't look all that special; Kumo certainly wouldn't recognise it which was a plus.

"Hey, don't look a gift horse in the mouth." He quickly fixed the pot to his belt, hanging it by the white string which was just about long enough to keep the priceless artefact secure. Strangely, even with its reduced size, the Chakra it tried to draw from him was exactly the same; it would still be unsafe for most to hold, never mind use. He looked up with a grin; this made things a lot easier for them.

"Well that's one problem dealt with, but we should probably get going. Kumo's going to be scouring this village in probably a few minutes." Fuu's eyes widened at that; she had expected a response from Kumo with one of their most precious artefacts stolen, but not so soon.

"You were followed?" Naruto just nodded with a sheepish grin, already heading for the door; he smiled when he noted the Kohaku no Jouehi didn't hinder his movement at all, however like with his shakujou he was having to use the Preta path consistently so it didn't slowly drain him of Chakra.

"It's a long story, I'll explain on the way." And with that the trio took off into the rain, making their way south as fast as they could go. Naruto was sure there would be Kumo Jounin faster than them, especially with Shizuku, but without them knowing where they were going exactly they would have to spread out and search, slowing them down considerably. His only problem would be if a sensor picked up his trail which was why he was using his Boidogakure technique on and off to confuse any would-be pursuers.

They reached a small coastal town on the south shore of Kaminari no Kuni around an hour later, stopping atop a large hill overlooking the shore. The sun was beginning to rise on the horizon sending a shimmering orange glow across the calm waters as far as the eye could see. They had purposefully picked the town due to it's out of the way, but still close location. The plan was to hire out a boat from here as quickly as possible that could take them south to Mizu no Kuni.

It had been Naruto's original plan to go to Tsuchi no Kuni after Kaminari no Kuni, due to it being next on the elemental cycle. However that would involve them passing through an area where Kumo had very high presence; either that or skirting around the area which would give Kumo Shinobi enough time to pin them down. Naruto figured they could always go to Tsuchi no Kuni another time anyway, the original plan was more like a guideline anyway.

The trio found a small abandoned cottage that looked like it had been completely ransacked a long time ago. The roof was just barely holding its own weight and the stone walls were missing more than a few of their rough-hewn bricks. Anything of value inside the tiny building had long ago been taken or stolen, only a few pieces of rotting furniture remaining. Luckily there were no leaks they had to deal with, not that they planned on staying long.

"Alright, you two know the plan." He handed the pouch containing their money to Fuu who simply nodded and strapped it onto her belt beneath her travelling cloak. The idea was for Shizuku and Fuu to go out and find a boat that would be willing to take them over to Mizu no Kuni for as little as possible. Naruto would stay here in case he was accidently spotted or recognised; he also had something to do while they were gone but he felt as though he could leave that out until they had more time to talk safely.

Fuu and Shizuku gave their own small nods as they quickly set off from the dilapidated cottage, Shizuku giving him a quick glance over her shoulder as she went. When he was sure they were gone Naruto returned to the driest part of the building, setting himself down in a comfortable meditative position and closing his eyes. It didn't take him long to steady his breathing, it had been an integral part of his training to learn how to use his Boidogakure technique. Soon enough he felt his consciousness slipping away into that same familiar place.

* * *

For the third time in his life Naruto found himself standing in the halls of his seal, standing comfortably with his shakujou in hand and the Kohaku no Jouhei at his hip. Once again there was a new pipe running the length of the ceiling, larger than his own and Shukaku's but still completely dwarfed by the Kyuubi's. He noticed with a wince that this new pipe was leaking, even worse that Shukaku's had.

He had known that before, it had felt like a weak acid had been running through his blood all the way back to the rendezvous. However he had kept a straight face for Fuu and Shizuku's sake, only now allowing his face to show the weariness and pain he was feeling. In that instant a few years seemed to fall on his shoulders, his eyes holding experience that nobody his age should ever have to endure. He quickly straightened himself out, exerting his will over his inner domain with a trembling hand as he watched the hallway fix itself, the pipes slowly closing up.

Once he was satisfied everything was as it should be he started to make his way along the corridor with its well-memorised twists and turns, no rush in his movements. He did note with a grimace though that it had taken considerably more control and time for his Preta path to fully assimilate the new Chakra source. It also didn't escape his knowledge that even now some of his power was being diverted away just to keep the raging Chakra within him in check.

The passages of his seal had become almost second nature to him now; he had often gone wandering in the seemingly random corridors to see where they led, often hours on end. It turned out though that they really did only represent his natural Chakra pathways, the only places of note were the slightly widened area he presumed represented his coils. That was why it only took him a few scant minutes to turn into the large open area he had become so familiar with, even if it had undergone yet another change.

Instead of the pentagonal room he had been used to since the Ichibi had been added to the seal, an entirely new cage occupied an equally new wall, changing the room into a hexagon. That made Shukaku's cage on the left as he walked in, the Kyuubi's on the right and the new cage directly in front of him. Even as he walked in he could hear the standard argument between the great sand construct and the enormous Fox, however there seemed to be a new voice added into the mix.

"**Dammit! I don't care about either of you assholes or your petty squabbles!" **That was quickly followed by the tell-tale sound of cage bars being beaten on, in futility of course. **"I had a good thing going with that idiotic Ningen, and now I find myself locked up in this place with my two least favourite siblings!" **Another scream of frustration echoed through the corridors of his seal as Naruto watched the proceedings with veiled amusement. **"Why couldn't it have been Isobu or Kokuou? At least those two are quiet!" **Naruto was rather surprised to find the new voice was rather feminine, despite its loud and booming timber that came with the size.

"**The little kitty got locked up as well? Ah, this is just too good!" **That was a voice Naruto recognised all too well, Shukaku's insane laughter boomed through the area even louder than the first voice.

"**Shut it Shukaku! Once I break out of here I'll rip your sandy neck out I swear it!" **A deep chuckling followed that which Naruto knew belonged to his resident fox, obviously enjoying anything that had to do with Shukaku in immense amounts of pain. **"And you, Kur-" **The new voice was finally cut off by an immense and awe-inspiring roar that thundered through the seal to the point where everything was vibrating for a few moments after it stopped.

"**Don't you dare use my name you pathetic feline!" **The Kyuubi's tone was a lot deeper and menacing than usual, even Shukaku had been somewhat shaken from his insane laughter and was now quivering slightly under the pressure exerted by the Kyuubi's will. **"Not while he is here." **As if to emphasise his point the great fox cast a disinterested eye over to Naruto's form, who had been content to remain silent and just take in the interaction between the three Bijuu; naturally Shukaku was the first to recover.

"**FATHER!" **Naruto had to spend the next minute rubbing the great tanuki's head until it contentedly fell asleep against the bars of its cage. All the while a set of yellow and green eyes watched him carefully from the darkness of their own cell. When Naruto finally moved back into the centre of the room and descended to a meditative position the new addition finally made themselves known as it walked out of the darkness of the cell.

"**So I wasn't wrong, you truly bear the Rinnegan like our father." **The Kyuubi snorted but said nothing, giving time for Naruto to observe the Nibi no Nekomata. There wasn't really all that much to say about it besides that it was an enormous two tailed cat made entirely of blue and black flames. It had heterochromic eyes, one being a bright shining yellow, the other being a more subdued green. Out of all the Bijuu he had met so far, which to be fair was only three, it had the most feminine appearance and voice.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki, it's nice to meet you." The great flaming cat smirked, bearing its sharpened canines slightly as it lowered its body to lie in a similar fashion to the Kyuubi.

"**My, aren't you an interesting and polite Ningen. How fascinating." **The large cat looked at Naruto for a moment, its di-coloured eyes seemingly piercing right through him. **"I am Matatabi, the Nibi no Nekomata." **The Kyuubi growled dangerously from its cell at both Naruto and Matatabi, sneering in both disgust and anger.

"**The little respect I had for you is crushed cat." **It spat the word angrily with narrowed eyes, almost making its fellow bijuu flinch under the steely gaze.** "To so willingly debase yourself and hand away your name in the same careless manner that Ningen do. I had expected you to be better than that insane tanuki; instead you practically hand yourself away to this mere child." **It growled once more before closing its eyes, ignoring the world for a now in disgust and apathy.

"What do you mean? What is so wrong with me learning its name?" The Kyuubi barely cracked an eye, although it was still filled with rage and something else Naruto couldn't fathom.

"**I do not expect a Ningen to know the value of words, especially a name." **With that the Kyuubi closed its eye again, settling down on its paws away from the cell door. Naruto turned to the Nibi for an explanation only to find it smiling at him, and not in the cruel manner the Kyuubi did or in the insane way Shukaku managed. If anything the large cat looked... pleased; as well as that emotion fit on a two story-tall flaming cat.

"**Do not mind my brother Ningen, he has always been too prideful for his own good. I warned him it would someday bite him in the tails, and look where he is now." **The only response was a small but still deadly growl from the fox. Naruto was more surprised to hear the Kyuubi be referred to as a 'he', he was under the impression Bijuu lacked any defining genders.

"He?" The great cat just tilted its head curiously, or was that her head?

"**We may not have gender little Ningen but we certainly gained aspects of both our father, and our progenitor. Some more masculine..." **She shot a pointed look at the Kyuubi's cell; the fox didn't even grunt in acknowledgement.** "...so naturally some more feminine. Our father gave us these bodies and minds, only he knew what we really are." **Naruto just nodded, it made... somewhat sense; it at least made referring to them easier.

"So the Sage of the Six Paths really was your father." The Nibi nodded languidly, its eyes half-lidded in a lazy manner that at least lived up to the species she emulated.

"**Or our mother, in the sense he gave us life." **Another Cheshire smile split the cat's flaming face as it stared at Naruto with those same piercing eyes. **"And here you are, his successor in the flesh. And over a thousand year later unless my sense of time has gone askew during my captivity. I guess that makes you my new master." **Naruto wasn't quite sure what to make of that; he had never expected any of the Bijuu to be so submissive. The Kyuubi on the other hand seemed to know exactly what to say on the subject, expressing it with an angry fist slamming down onto the floor.

"**Enough! That mere child will never be a sliver of the man the Sage was." **The fox's voice only carried pure rage and disgust, its volume nearly enough to wake the peacefully sleeping Ichibi. **"Our father could stride across oceans, create beings from nothingness, was strong enough to defeat the most powerful being known to the earth and still strong enough to create us on his deathbed! You would do well to remember that cat!" **He finished off with a low sneer of contempt, allowing his restless tails to stop their agitated swaying.

"**Please fox, he bears our father's eyes and staff, he even looks like him! What more could you possibly want as proof that this is the true legacy our father left to the world?" **Naruto was starting to become slightly uncomfortable as the centre of an argument between two such powerful beings. The Kyuubi on the other hand was unfazed, growling lightly as he lay back down with his eyes fixed in a permanent glare.

"**You always were a pitiful sycophant." **At that Matatabi returned the glare to the Kyuubi, although it lacked the same sheer presence the fox could exert.

"**Coming from our father's personal lap dog? You heeded his every beck and call like it came from the mouth of Kami!" **The Kyuubi rose to its full and impressive size; it would have towered over the much smaller hellcat if they had been occupying the same cell.

"**He was more powerful than any of us, he was our creator! This is just another worthless Ningen who happened to catch the genetic long straw." **Naruto wasn't sure whether or not to be insulted by that, he still didn't feel like getting involved though. The Nibi though simply let out a barking laugh that somehow managed to sound both feminine and powerful despite lacking the Kyuubi's sheer menace.

"**And it had nothing to do with the fact you were the first he created?" **The Kyuubi merely huffed in contempt, a slightly smug look flickering across his snarling maw. **"Or the fact he would give you treats when you were 'a good boy'?" **At that something seemed to snap in the large fox; his eyes grew cold and filled with fury as he once again rose to his full height.

"**You think you are able to speak so insolently because of these petty bars?" **Despite lacking the previous volume his rants had before, the Kyuubi's quite rumbling tone lacked none of the menace. **"You are nothing compared to me!" **He launched forward, slamming his full weight into the previously unyielding bars that represented the seal. However to Naruto's immense fear the great steel bars actually bulged out slightly under the strain. The addition of the Nibi had weakened the seal temporarily, at least enough for the Kyuubi to do this much.

"ENOUGH!" A dead quiet descended over the large room as two sets of enormous eyes turned to stare at the young blonde who had the balls to interrupt an argument between Bijuu. Naruto couldn't sit back idly anymore and risk the seal being weakened further; it actually terrified him to do so but had no choice but to intervene. That was why he was now floating at the centre of the room as if he was standing on the air, shakujou in hand and eyes cold.

"Stop arguing like children!" The Kyuubi glared at the boy, his lips pulling back into a vicious snarl as he was about to angrily bark back. However Naruto simply levelled his cold unyielding gaze at the mighty Bijuu, using all his willpower to simply maintain eye contact with the enraged fox. The Nibi simply watched this with awe, not having seen anybody but their father stare down the most powerful of the nine like that. Eventually the Kyuubi snarled once before laying back down, closing his eyes in apparent indifference and dismissal, allowing Naruto to let out a relieved breath.

Naruto calmly turned his gaze to the flaming hellcat; this time she actually did flinch slightly, remembering a time when somebody else looked at her with that exact same gaze. It took a lot less time for the lower-tailed Bijuu to relent, weakly lowering her head in submission and respect. In those few moments it was like the Sage himself was looking out of Naruto's eyes and she returned to the easily-swayed kitten she had been at the start of her long life.

"**I'm sorry Tou-san." **Naruto blinked away his surprise at the title before allowing a kindly smile to pass over his features. The enormous cat almost visibly relaxed at that; some of the best moments in her early life had been preceded by that very same smile; it naturally calmed her.

"It's alright." He gently floated back down to the floor of the room, quickly settling into a seated position as the Nibi did the same with her two tails swaying slowly behind her in perfect sync. Naruto was about to fade away from the seal when a thought struck him, or more accurately a certain pot dug into his side uncomfortably. "Matatabi?" The flaming cat looked up in interest; she hadn't been addressed by her actual name in a millennia, literally. Her last container, Yugito, was friendly but she only wanted her power, she had not earned the right to know her name.

**"Yes Tou-san?"** Another irritated grunt emerged from the Kyuubi's cell but he didn't say anything thankfully. Naruto wasn't sure he had the willpower for another staring match with the most powerful creature in existence.

"You wouldn't happen to know how the Kohaku no Jouhei works do you?" Surprisingly the large flaming cat nodded, almost a little too eagerly.

"**Father explained all his old possessions to us**.**"** Naruto raised an eyebrow at that description. **"All of his old tools were ways he came up with in order to defeat the Juubi, each one failed before he eventually tried to seal its Chakra within himself." **Naruto nodded slowly, the seemingly inefficient and unwieldy tools suddenly making a lot more sense now. The sword, rope, and gourd were all geared towards sealing, but in a very strange and unorthodox manner that only made sense if the Sage was attempting to do something that had never been done before.

"**The Pot you have was his last attempt to seal the Juubi before he resorted to using his own body. It actually worked, but only for about a minute. Our progenitor was too powerful to ever have been sealed within an inanimate object. It works by having the target respond to a call as you send your Chakra through it, any kind of acknowledgement works." **Naruto nodded in thought, it was definitely a very useful tool, easy to use and hard for enemies to escape unless they knew how it worked.

"What about the Bashousen?" The Nibi nodded slowly, remembering her father showing her the large feathered fan.

"**That was Father's attempt to recreate his ability to wield all five elemental Chakra. He had many allies before fighting the Juubi but like you Ningen today they were limited to one or two affinities. Unfortunately the Chakra cost was too high for anybody but one of his companions to wield." **Naruto perked up slightly at that, wondering who the man who stood beside the Sage and was able to wield his tools was; he must have been immensely powerful.

"Who was he?" Unfortunately the Nibi just shrugged languidly, the action looking strange on such a large creature; but then again her smile did too.

"**I never met him and the Sage didn't talk about him. Father respected him though, a lot." **Another angry grunt emerged from the Kyuubi's cell but it was ignored by both Naruto and Matatabi.

"Thank you Matatabi, I appreciate the information." The large cat preened under the praise from the person she had now adopted as her surrogate father figure. Suddenly though she bowed her head slightly, looking oddly sheepish for such an enormous creature.

"**Could you...?" **She trailed off but Naruto saw her sideways glance at Shukaku as she lowered her head submissively. The blonde just took a deep breath, completely weirded out by everything that had gone on in the seal so far. He was sure that after today nothing would surprise him anymore. He walked forward, reaching his hand through the bars of the Nibi's cell at the same time she leaned her head forward.

The blonde was surprised when the flames that made up her body seemed to quell at his proximity, better resembling blue and black fur instead. He quickly rubbed the large patch that he could reach as a low rumbling purr resonated through the room, bringing a small smile to his lips. If it had been satisfying to have the Ichibi quiver under his touch, it was doubly so for the more powerful two-tails. He left the seal feeling oddly at peace, surprisingly glad for the new arrival; out of all three Matatabi was his favourite Bijuu so far... not that he would let Shukaku know that.

* * *

Coincidentally Naruto opened his eyes at almost the same moment Fuu and Shizuku walked into the cottage. By the height of the sun he would say it had been around an hour since he had gone into the meditative state. He simply looked up at the two girls with an expectant expression, only to be returned by two equally sullen ones. At least sullen in Fuu's unique expressionless way, he had a knack for understanding what she was actually feeling even though she hid it.

"Sorry Naruto-kun, Kumo must have sent messenger birds to all the ports. Every ship is on lockdown and can't leave until it has been searched by Kumo Shinobi. Most of the captains wouldn't even accept our money, they know better than to go against their Shinobi village." When the blonde looked across to Fuu the mint-haired girl just nodded once, obviously having found out the same as Shizuku. He just sighed as he stood up, walking out of the cottage and into the early morning sun.

"Well that's not good." He frowned in thought as he looked out over the ocean, now resplendently lit by the early morning sun. Suddenly something the Kyuubi had said echoed in his mind as a small grin alighted on his whiskered features. "Don't worry, there's another way for us to get to Mizu no Kuni." For some reason Shizuku and Fuu felt a little uncomfortable with Naruto's mischievous grin; they knew this wasn't going to end well for them. Naruto just turned back to the sea, the grin not leaving his face for a moment.

'_So the Sage could stride across oceans could he? Thanks for the info Kyuubi.'_


	25. Water I

**Digi doesn't own Naruto... _Oh but he does look like a tasty human_...I wonder if Tobi would let us have him once this is all over..._Hmm, I doubt it, oh well_.**

* * *

**Sage**

**Book V: Water**

_"Insanity is doing the same fucking thing, over and over again, expecting shit to change. That's crazy." - Vaas_

* * *

It was a relatively normal day in the northern region of Mizu no Kuni, so naturally it was raining, the mists were heavy, and visibility was low. Two Shinobi were out patrolling the coast, their worn headbands clearly marking them as Kirigakure ninja. Of course nowadays in Mizu no Kuni that can mean one of two things, loyalists or rebels. Unlike in Ame no Kuni, it was very well know that a civil war had broken out in Kirigakure ever since the Yondaime Mizukage, Yagura, had declared war on bloodline users.

It was a bloody time for residents in the land of water with entire clans of Kekkei Genkai users going extinct overnight under the orders of Kiri's Kage. Of course these people were human so they didn't take it lying down; naturally a rebellion arose against the current regime, with many bloodline clans banding together against the purists under Yagura's iron control. In this time of war and bloodshed the once peaceful, if not secluded, Mizu no Kuni had gained a new moniker, the Bloody Mist.

"Come on Kenji, get off your ass and stop lazing around." One of the Shinobi, a lanky man with limp brown hair covered by a loose-fitting blue bandanna, was currently waiting for his companion to get up from where he was lounging against the base of a large tree.

"Eh, calm down Shiroko, it's not like we're in any rush." The man on the ground had a decidedly more laid-back attitude than his more uptight comrade, as evidenced by his slack posture and lidded eyes. He was casually chewing on a senbon, a favoured weapon of the Kiri hunter-nin, both past and present.

"Yeah we are, we have to complete our patrol and report in to Shima-taichou in ten minutes." The man on the floor just groaned as he lurched to his feet, swaying slightly with his arms hanging limply in front of him.

"Fine, I don't get why we're even patrolling here, nothing ever happens this far north. Everybody knows all the real fighting happens in the contested zones on the main island." Shiroko's eyebrow merely twitched in irritation as he began to walk off, caring less and less if his lazy compatriot was actually following.

"You know perfectly well why we're here, it's because you were idiotic enough to make all those inappropriate comments about Mei-sama!" Kenji just chuckled into his long sleeve as he languidly followed after his rigid friend.

"Oh yeah, that was pretty funny. I swear Ao's eye was gonna pop out or something when he overheard." Because of the mist Kenji missed his companion's face turn an increasingly virulent shade of red.

"It wasn't funny, we could have been on lockdown for a few weeks for what you said. We're lucky to just be stuck on guard duty up here!" Kenji merely waved a lazy hand in Shiroko's general direction, more out of acknowledgement than any kind of apology.

"You worry too much, at least it's quiet up here. The reports from down south are getting pretty bloody lately." Shiroko merely sighed, adjusting his bandanna slightly and tucking a few strands of hair underneath the cloth.

"Yeah I guess you're right about-" Both Shinobi were suddenly interrupted as they heard a faint but increasingly loud whistling sound approaching their position. While Kenji might have been lazy, and rude, and incompetent at times, he was still a trained Shinobi and recognised what that sound could mean. Both sets of eyes turned towards the stretch of coast they were nearest two to see a black spot in the sky, barrelling towards them at astonishing speeds.

"Incoming!" Kenji and Shiroko both took cover behind a set of palm trees, keeping an eye on the shore and the incoming projectile. However both could only raise an eye when whatever it was drew closer, eliciting another sound.

"YAHHHOOOOOOOO!" As enormous crash followed as whatever it was smashed right into the water at the shore, creating an enormous splash that nearly reached the two hidden men. When the water finally settled both were astonished to see what appeared to be a young boy in his early teens crouched in a three-point stance on the water's surface. If it weren't for his unusual arrival in Mizu no Kuni the two might have mistaken him for a monk, he was wearing the traditional robes and carried a shakujou. The only thing that marked him as any different was the archaic headband on his forehead, the type that hadn't been worn for centuries.

"Kuchiyose!" As if only to surprise the two even more the boy immediately slammed his hand down on the water, a sealing matrix quickly spreading out from his palm. Once the resulting veil of smoke lifted the rebel Shinobi could see two girls, one with purple hair dressed as a miko, the other with green hair in more revealing white clothing. The violette looked decidedly ill from the rather unorthodox method of travel while the verdette merely straightened up, glancing around their new surroundings.

The two Kiri Shinobi shared a quick look before nodding to one another and dashing off; their captain had to be informed of something like this.

* * *

"Urrgghh, I don't feel too good." Naruto just gave Shizuku a sympathetic pat on the back as the girl leaned heavily on a nearby tree. She sent a scathing look at Fuu who didn't even seemed fazed by the summoning; in fact she was scouting the area in case of dangerous Shinobi or bandits.

"How come she's okay?" Naruto just shrugged, careful not to remove his hand from Shizuku's back where he was making light, soothing circles which seemed to be helping.

"It must be like motion sickness, it just affects some worse than others." Shizuku nodded meekly, she didn't seem all that pleased about it; her rather green-tinted face said that much.

"I just still can't believe you made it all the way across in a day." Naruto just grinned happily. It had taken substantial effort and a brief stop at a small island he had passed but he had managed to cross the sea separating Kaminari no Kuni and the northern islands of Mizu no Kuni. Mostly he had just used his gravity manipulation to make himself lighter and bounded across the open water. It wasn't quite 'striding' but he figured it was close enough; however even he wasn't completely immune to Chakra exhaustion.

"Naruto? Naruto!" Shizuku managed to catch the blonde as he suddenly wilted on his feet, swaying like a sickly plant before simply slumping to his side, completely worn out. Fuu quickly jogged back over after hearing her friend's cries only to see a blissfully sleeping blonde in Shizuku's arms. A small smirk crossed the caramel-skinned girl's features as she helped her friend get the blonde up onto his feet.

"He really overdid himself this time didn't he?" Shizuku nodded with a warm smile, she was still feeling a little ill from the impromptu transport but she had to admit what Naruto did was reckless, even for the container of three Bijuu.

"But I don't know what he would be like if he didn't do stuff like this." Even Fuu had to smile at that as she quickly pulled Naruto onto her back, his limp head lolling comically over her shoulder. Shizuku looked a little jealous that Fuu was the one carrying Naruto but she knew Fuu was both stronger than her and had greater stamina.

"We should find a town so he can recuperate." Shizuku shook her head to clear away her green-tinged thoughts with a smile before nodding in agreement, only having half heard what her friend had said.

* * *

A light groaning announced Naruto's re-awakening to the world, or more specifically the little brown-haired girl who was staring at him not three inches from his face. She also happened to be sitting directly on Naruto's chest, a fact he noticed through his suddenly laboured breathing. They just stared at one another for a few moments, Naruto with an expressionless face and the girl with one of awed curiosity that only children can pull off well.

"You have funny eyes." Naruto let a small smile spread over his face, stretching out the whisker marks on his cheeks, much to the little girl's amusement.

"Thank you, I take pride in my eyes bringing amusement to others." The girl just cocked her head slightly, trying to figure out what Naruto meant by that and if he was being serious or sarcastic, then again very few three years olds have a solid grasp on sarcasm. In the end she simply giggled into her hand as she got up off of Naruto's chest and ran from the room with quick, pattering steps. Naruto raised himself onto his arms with an amused expression before looking around to try and see where he was.

It was a small but warm room with a very family feel with its cosy red walls and simple but well-used furniture. There were a few pictures on the wall of a family; the little girl featured in most of them as well as two adults who were most likely her parents given the similar hair colour of the woman and eyes of the man. He sat up and stretched his neck as he quickly removed the blanket that had been laid over him, panicking slightly when he realised his clothes and possessions were missing. He relaxed though when he spotted them over on a nearby chair, his shakujou leant up against it.

"I hope Tenai didn't disturb your sleep." Naruto looked up just as he pulled on the last of his clothes, his robe-like shirt, to see the woman that featured in most of the pictures. He just gave a kindly smile, allowing his features to set into his well-practiced serene expression.

"Of course not, she was merely curious." The woman chuckled in a light tinkling tone with a knowing nod. She herself was like an older version of the little girl with the same long brown hair and kindly heart-shaped face. She had a few wrinkles and worry lines but her eyes held plenty of youth and energy. "May I ask where I am?" Quickly nodding the woman motioned for the blonde to follow her out of the room.

"I'm Minawa, your friends brought you here to our village saying you had fallen unconscious from exhaustion. I let you sleep in the spare room." Naruto just nodded politely. "They are in the kitchen waiting for you." The blonde followed the woman through the small house, it only seemed to have one floor and it only took them a moment to reach the cosy kitchen area. Fuu was sitting in a chair to one side, flipping through a book from the countless she had stored away in a scroll while Shizuku was at the table making funny faces for Tenai. However she immediately looked up as Naruto walked in, her eyes widening as Naruto braced himself.

"Naruto-kun!" Not one to be caught out twice Naruto actually managed to catch the girl this time instead of being bowled over, holding her secure in his arms as she hugged her. Fuu looked up over the edge of her book, her eyes narrowing slightly as a feeling ran through her chest that she didn't recognise; once again she wondered if she was coming down with something. Then again she was a Jinchuuriki, she had never been sick in her life before; her advanced healing took care of them too quickly.

"Morning Shizuku." The blushing girl quietly got off of Naruto, suddenly realising how that might have looked to the others in the room. Sure enough Fuu had gone back to her book, however there was a faint red on her cheeks and Minawa was quietly giggling into her sleeve like a schoolgirl. Naruto quickly turned to the woman and bowed his head slightly, not in deference but in respect. "Thank you for your hospitality Minawa-san, is there anything I can do to repay you before we leave?" The brown-haired woman frowned slightly at that, saddened that the people who had gotten on so well with Tenai were already leaving.

"Must you go so soon?" Naruto just nodded with a slightly sad smile, he didn't know the woman but she seemed kind for letting complete strangers into her home.

"Yes, we're going to Kiri so it would be better to get moving in the early hours of the day before the mists get too thick." The mists of Mizu no Kuni were somewhat of a legend; they never truly dissipated. The country was always shrouded by at least a light fog, much like how Amegakure was always experiencing some degree of rainfall. At worst the fog could make it almost impossible for you to see even your own hand in front of your face. They tended to get worse as the day went on so travelling in the mornings was fairly common. Minawa on the other hand just gained a look of alarm as her eyes widened; the two girls had not told her their destination.

"Kiri? You're going to Kirigakure no Sato?" Naruto just nodded, slightly confused by the woman's startled reaction. "But you can't! The civil war is worst between here and there!" She looked sadly across the room to another portrait of the happy family trio all grinning at whoever was taking the photo. "Many people are fighting and dying out there right now. And not just those fighting, those caught in the crossfires are dying too." She looked up, surprised to feel a warm hand clasp her shoulder, to see Naruto smiling at her softly.

"Don't worry about us, we're a tough group." He nodded politely again, leaving a few ryo, the equivalent for a stay in a nice inn, on the table as he made for the door. "Again, I thank you for the warm bed." With that he waved before ducking under the flaps that acted like the door, Fuu and Shizuku quickly following him out into the street after saying their own goodbyes. Tenai rushed out after them, slightly saddened to see the funny people leaving but waving with a grin on her face all the same.

"Bye mister funny eyes! Bye bye nice ladies!" The trio smiled at the little girl as they walked off, Minawa coming out a moment later to usher her daughter back inside. Soon they were walking down the street of the village they were in, getting the occasional nod from a townsmen that passed them in the opposite direction. Naruto just looked around with a genuine smile; the village seemed peaceful and happy, nothing like Mizu no Kuni had been described to him by one of the monks who had tried to provide aid there.

His name was Matoko, an elderly monk who had been with the Fire Temple for all of his adult life since running away from his home as a teenager. He had gone out to Mizu no Kuni when word of the civil war had reached the mainland; of course with Kiri being the isolationists they were that could have been anything from a month to a year after the war actually started. He had come back with tales of how run-down and desperate the population was with thieving children and beggars on street corners. In the end he had been forced to leave the country after numerous threats from Kiri loyalist ninja who didn't appreciate him aiding the supposed bloodline lovers.

Then again, they were currently in the territory that was more or less completely in the control of the rebels, namely the northern islands and about a quarter of the main island. Beyond that it was miles of contested territory, the territory borders being moved on an almost daily basis as counterattack after attack was launched between the two sides vying for control. So far the conflict had not reached Kiri itself but from what he knew the rebels were slowly but surely pushing south, claiming more and more land.

"So where are we going now? Are we really going to Kirigakure?" Naruto just nodded as they walked, the group having already made it outside of the village and into a thickly forested area that would be difficult to traverse once the mist really came in. "But why? What about the war." Naruto sighed but didn't stop moving, deftly stepping over various roots that would have tripped a civilian.

"Because that is where we can provide the most aid." Fuu nodded from behind him; she had a chance to talk with Minawa and had gotten a fairly good idea of what it was like in the contested areas. "Plus, we need to go somewhere to train mine and your water affinities." Shizuku nodded slowly with a large frown; from everything she had heard she didn't particularly like the sound of Kirigakure, she agreed more with the rebels.

"Couldn't we go to the rebels instead? I'm sure they could help us just as well. It's not like there is much we could do anyway, we're only three people and this war is country-wide." Naruto stopped for a moment, shifting his weight to lean against his staff as he looked around at her with a kindly smile. His eyes were open, a rarity even when it was just the three of them, and they had a deep sense of pain about them.

"It doesn't matter how much we can help Shizuku, just that we do something." With that he started walking again, the soft jingle of his shakujou strangely reassuring to the violette. "Anyway, I want to try something soon. If I can get it right then I think we could help more than you'd expect. Plus, the rebels are already too busy to help us train before their own Shinobi; I wouldn't ask for their valuable time anyway, their goal is too important." Shizuku was genuinely surprised at that; she had thought Naruto abhorred all kinds of violence yet he had just admitted to agreeing with the rebels' point of view.

They stayed quiet for a while as they walked; the pounding rain was affecting them more than it usually did. After so long in Kumo with relatively clear days for their entire stay it was rather depressing for Shizuku to once again be subjected to her curse. It didn't help that as the day slowly dragged on and then moved further and further south the mist seemed to only thicken and get worse. Soon it was to the point where even Naruto's Rinnegan was struggling to see more than ten feet in front of them

That was dangerous, an ambush you couldn't see coming was the most likely to be successful, and in a rundown and impoverished country like Mizu no Kuni, especially as they approached the contested areas, bandits were highly likely. That wasn't to say Naruto doubted his ability to defend them should the need arise, but it was likely there was more than just bandits out in the mist. Soon it became too much for them and the trio settled in the next clearing they stumbled across, quite literally in Shizuku's case as she tripped over a jutting root.

Once Naruto finished setting up their rudimentary camp, which meant putting up a sand barrier around the clearing as well as sending out his Chakra through the ground as an early warning system, they each went about their own business. Fuu retired to a corner off the hut and began to read; it worried Naruto a little she seemed to be becoming more closed off to the world, even around him and Shizuku. Shizuku played with Marseru for a bit while also seeing if she could perform her water exercises on the moist ground, with somewhat limited success.

She got bored after a while though and moved over to where Fuu was reading, peering over the girl's shoulder to try and see what she was reading. Fuu reacted like any normal person did in that situation; she shied away from the girl and moved her book so that Shizuku couldn't see it. The violette merely pouted as she took up her little exercise again; suddenly she blinked, looking down at the small tower of water she had created.

"Hey Fuu?" The girl didn't move her orange eyes from the book but Shizuku somehow knew she was listening. "What's your affinity?" At that the girl paused, licked her finger and marked the page she was on by folding the corner of the page.

"I have a main affinity to water and secondary one to wind." Shizuku nodded; that had been bugging her for a while but for some reason she had just never asked. Another thought suddenly struck her as she grinned at Fuu, motioning to her little tower of moisture collected between her palm and the ground.

"So does that mean I'm farther on in the elemental manipulation than you are?" Fuu just blinked disinterestedly as she picked up her book again.

"No, I completed the second stage of both water and wind manipulation when I was ten years old." Shizuku just frowned dejectedly; she thought she finally had something she was better at than Fuu. Suddenly her head shot up, confusion evident across her scrunched up features.

"Hey, then why haven't you told me what the second stage was after all this time?" Fuu simply looked up once from the book, her face blank and expressionless.

"You never asked." Before Shizuku could retort Naruto caught both girls' attention as he sat down across the sand hut from them. Instead of sitting down and meditating lightly like he had done every evening since he was eight years old, he instead created a single Chakra rod and stared at it intently. Fuu actually glanced up from the book she was skimming through, her thin eyebrows quirked in curiosity. Likewise Shizuku looked over, her control over the very small pillar she had made quickly breaking as it splashed to the ground.

"What are you doing Naruto?" The blonde didn't look up, his eyes was firmly set on the thin black bar sitting on the ground in front of it. From the way he was just staring at the Chakra rod you would half expect it to simply combust from the intensity of his gaze. He took a deep breath as he picked the bar up, gently crushing it in his hand and allowing the dust to settle in his palm. He closed his eyes but you could still see the deep concentration on his face as he slowly closed his hand over the dust.

"Hopefully..." His hand clenched even harder as his face tightened in concentration, beads of sweat gathering at his brow. "...something..." The hand holding the Chakra dust was now shaking slightly as Naruto clenched his teeth; if any of them could see his Chakra they would have known enormous amounts had gathered in his palm, enough to act like a beacon to a Byakugan user. "...impossible!" Spontaneously his right hand erupted in blue flame, pouring out between his fingers like it was trying to escape his grasp.

Then, as suddenly as it had begun, he stopped, letting out a long and relieved breath as he opened his eyes and wiped away the sweat on his forehead. Tentatively he opened his hand, grinning slightly as he tossed something up into the air, something that had not been there before. He caught it again deftly, blowing off the dark layer of black powder around it to reveal glinting gold underneath. Shizuku and Fuu's jaws nearly dropped at the sight of a single ryo coin, the simple gold disk with the square hole through though the middle was unmistakable. Naruto just looked around, smiling at his friends' shocked reactions, they were just too priceless.

"W-What was that?" Naruto just grinned and tapped the side of his nose cheekily. Fuu on the other hand walked over, quickly grabbing the golden ryo from his hand and checking it over. She felt its weight, cast a keen eye over its size and shape and even bit it slightly to check if it was really gold. It was common practise for Shinobi to be able to tell the difference between real and fake money because sometimes the customers were as sneaky as the ninja they hired. She looked down at it in her palm, her eyes wide and disbelieving, nearly dropping the phantom coin like it would just combust in her hand.

"I-It's real." Naruto just kept grinning, although inwardly he was slightly tired from just that small use of the Jutsu he had half expected not to work. Fuu looked down at him, eyes narrowed and coin held in front of her, almost accusingly. "How did you do that?" Naruto stopped grinning; he figured he had played with his friends long enough.

"The Sage created the Bijuu from the Chakra of the Juubi, I think in comparison a small gold coin is slightly more doable." Fuu just blinked; Naruto had told her of the Kyuubi's brief mention of the Sage's ability that allowed him to create life itself.

"You are trying to re-create the Banbutsu Souzou?" The blonde just gave a knowing smile as he stood up, stretching his back out. He hadn't been sitting for very long but it had felt as though he had been in that position for hours, and all he had created was one golden coin. "How does it work?" At that the blonde just chuckled sheepishly, absently creating another Chakra rod and spinning it lazily between his fingers.

"Now that I couldn't tell you, because I have no idea." He sighed wearily, allowing the simple rod to disintegrate in his grasp, re-absorbing the Chakra he had used to create it. "I did it more off a hunch than anything else; the Kyuubi called the rods a cheap imitation so I figured I would start from there. Instead of trying to create something other than them from nothing but Chakra, I would try to convert the rod into something else. The gold coin was just the first thing that came to mind that I could easily visualise." Fuu nodded thoughtfully, still staring at the little piece of metal that minutes ago hadn't existed, at least in this form.

"So in theory, you could create anything you visualised?" Naruto shrugged; like he said he had been operating off of a hunch, he knew just as much as she did.

"I guess, if I had the Chakra." He looked down, frowning slightly as he plucked the coin out of the verdette's hand, looking at it strangely. "But you know, it's weird; in one way I feel as though I've used up loads of my Chakra, yet at the same time I feel almost exactly the same as I did before. I don't really know how to explain the feeling." He suddenly looked up, clicking his fingers once as he absently flipped the coin up; the flash of metal catching both Fuu and Shizuku's attention.

"Actually, do you remember when you first started drawing out Chakra?" Fuu nodded slowly, it was a long time ago but it was the kind of memory you kept with you as a Shinobi. "It's almost like when you first start to mould Chakra but you get the balance between spiritual and physical wrong. You end up messing it up and expelling the Chakra anyway but you used up more Physical energy than spiritual, or the other way around." He nodded once, seemingly satisfied with that explanation, before quickly adding. "But not quite like that; similar though." Shizuku had been nodding along to this through the whole conversation and Marseru had been parroting the motion comically.

"I'm lost." Naruto turned to Shizuku and just shrugged helplessly; that was the best way he could find to explain it. Fuu took the coin back, it was strangely warm and for some reason she felt inherently safe while holding it. It was strange because she had never been all that concerned with money before in her life; then again she had never held a coin that had been created from pure Chakra before either.

"Well I guess we're set for money now." Naruto just raised an eye at the purple haired girl as he took the coin back, closed his hand around it and concentrated for a moment. When he opened it again nothing but a fine black powder poured out, he didn't miss the disappointed looks from Fuu and Shizuku, although in Fuu's case it was for a different reason.

"That would be highly misappropriate don't you think? It's basically fraud." Shizuku merely pointed at the blonde accusingly.

"You were the one who made it in the first place!" Naruto just motioned to the now dissolving black powder on the damp floor causing Shizuku to pout cutely. "Well either way it's not fraud, Fuu said it was real money!" Naruto just shook his head and sat back down, this strange tiredness yet not-tiredness he was feeling was disorientating.

"I'm not going to just create money to make our lives easier, it's irresponsible." Shizuku frowned at the ground, not noticing Marseru sending confused glances around the room, wondering what was going on with the strange large monkeys he had been following.

"Then how are you going to use this to help people like you said you would?" Naruto just smiled sagely as he leant against his own wall of sand noting absently that the mist didn't seem to be affecting it as long as his Chakra was in it.

"Money is not the answer to all problems Shizuku. Now if you don't mind..." He yawned into his hand and curled up slightly on his sleeping mat, his eyes slowly drifting shut. "...I'm going to sleep." Fuu and Shizuku just stared at the napping blonde for a moment before both their eyes drifted to the small pile of black dust that had just finished dissolving into bright golden sparkles that slowly faded from view.

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**A/N: Hey guys, Digi here, I just wanted to share something with you that shows just how important reviews can be in a story. A few of you complimented me on my explanation for what the Sage's tools were actually for. That actually came to me after one reviewer commented that the Kohaku no Jouhei would be too bulky to just carry around. That got me thinking about why it was like that... that led on to why the Sage's tools seem so impractical and unwieldy so I looked at them and thought... okay so their geared towards sealing something, but in a very strange way. Well, the Sage's main enemy was the Juubi, who he wanted to get rid of, obviously sealing would be a good idea and I'm sure using his own body to become a Jinchuuriki would be very much a last resort. So what if the Sage's tools were specifically for that... then it would make sense for the Kohaku no Jouhei to be the successor of the Benihisago considering it works better and more easily. Everything else kind of led on from that.  
I'm just saying, if you find discrepancies... point them out! If you have criticisms... tell me! I want them, they not only make the story better, but honestly... it makes it easier for me to write with new ideas. I'm not saying just give me ideas to write about, I already have a story plan pretty much set in stone, but little things that just improve the overall experience are not unwelcome even if ultimately unused. I'll put it this way, when I upload around 11:00 a.m (English time) each day, I haven't written a single word of the next chapter, and probably won't have until 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Thanks for all the amazing support I'm already getting, if you're an author as well you know how much I appreciate it.**

**-Digi-**


	26. Water II

**Digi does not own Naruto, because it was never his fate to own Naruto**

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**Sage**

_"In such a world of conflict, a world of victims and executioners, it is the job of thinking people, not to be on the side of the executioners." – Albert Camus_

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"Hey, I think I'm getting better at this." The trio were once again moving through the thickly packed forests of Mizu no Kuni, the early morning sun helping to burn off the light mist hanging over the group. Fuu was walking ahead, using her Chakra-heightened senses to pick out the best path south because the map was no help at all. Naruto was walking slower than usual, but he was still helping; his Chakra was spreading out through the ground as they moved to warn him of anybody approaching. However most of his attention was on his hand, which was currently lit with an ethereal blue flame.

He had been working on his control over what he thought to be Banbutsu Souzou, refining how much Chakra it took to create certain items. He had at first just kept creating coins as they had a simple design and were easy to visualise, however Shizuku kept looking at them so he tried other things. Every time he opened his hand a new object would appear, sometimes a little warped but always recognisable. He still had that strange feeling of unbalance after performing the technique and was trying to figure out what it was, and hopefully how to fix it.

"That's great Naruto." Shizuku's deadpan voice was slightly muffled by the mist in the air but it reached Naruto and Fuu's ears just fine. Normally she would be more enthusiastic about what Naruto was doing; it didn't help though that he had been constantly talking about it all morning. It was also very distracting every time his hand would ignite in flame to announce he was using the technique again. Fuu's danger senses would flare and Shizuku would become slightly uneasy at the massive Chakra usage.

"No really, say something and I'll make it." Despite his friends' obvious annoyance at him Naruto's mood just couldn't be dampened. Apart from the weird feeling he got from using the technique he was excited to be able to do such a unique and powerful technique, at least when he got it right. Shizuku just sighed while Fuu gained a small smirk as she deftly navigated through the trees around them. Shizuku was about to suggest something really hard just so Naruto would focus on it for a while and give them some quiet when her rumbling stomach cut through the silence.

"Some food it is." Naruto's snicker at Shizuku's growling stomach was poorly concealed, even when she shot him a half annoyed, half embarrassed look. He just grinned at her in a fox-like manner as he closed his hand again, the small senbon he had created quickly dissolving into the recognisable black powder he was working with right now. A look of intense concentration overcame him as he channelled an enormous amount of Chakra into his hand, igniting it in cerulean flames. They had worked out that one instance of Naruto using this technique used more Chakra than Shizuku's entire capacity.

"There!" The flames died down and when Naruto opened his hand it revealed a small loaf of bread which almost seemed to grow out of his palm to a more filling size. He grinned as Shizuku just looked at it with longing eyes, her stomach once again announcing her hunger loudly. She quickly took it, biting into it with a blissful expression; they had provisions but they tended not to eat outside of mealtimes to preserve their food.

"Eurgh!" Shizuku's cheeks suddenly bulged as she nearly heaved up the small bite of bread she had eaten, her face turning a rather virulent shade of green. She dropped the rest, staring at it in disgust while Fuu and Naruto merely sweat-dropped at the exaggerated reaction. The blond quickly caught the bread before it hit the floor, staring at it and Shizuku with a raised eyebrow.

"Come on, it can't be that bad." Shizuku's only response was to turn and retch into her hand again, the shade of green darkening slightly. The monk tentatively sniffed the unassuming loaf; it just smelt like any normal piece of bread, it was even slightly warm. He took a testing bite only to immediately spit it out, retching almost as loudly as Shizuku much to Fuu's amusement. The bread was terrible, it was like eating wet sand, gritty and slightly damp. He never thought anything could taste so disgusting. When the two finally recovered Naruto crushed the bread back into Chakra dust, staring at his hand incredulously.

"I don't get it, I must be doing something wrong." Shizuku just glared at him, her face hadn't quite lost its palid tinge and she still felt like throwing up; at least Naruto hadn't actually swallowed the abomination he called bread.

"Maybe you just can't cook." Fuu smirked at that, she always found these little interactions between Naruto and Shizuku amusing, at least when they didn't get too close; although she wasn't sure why.

"I so can too cook, loads of the monks liked my food!" Shizuku just raised a disbelieving eyebrow at him; she wondered if the monks were all tasteless or they were simply humouring the blonde. Naruto just growled as a new Chakra rod shot from his sleeves, quickly dissolving into the miraculous dust. "I'll show you, it must just need more Chakra!" At that Fuu stepped in, she had noticed the beads of sweat building up on Naruto's brow for the last few minutes.

"Are you sure that's wise? You've been at this for the last hour; perhaps you should regain your energy first." Naruto just waved her off, already focusing intently on his hand.

"I'll be fine, I've got energy to spare. Plus I can regain my energy with the delicious bread I'm about to make!" Fuu just sighed and shrugged, stepping back to allow Naruto to try again,

"Fine, but I'm not carrying you if you faint." She just got another dismissive hand wave as Naruto channelled even more Chakra to his hand. This time he didn't just picture the bread, he remembered how it tasted, how it smelled, even how it sounded, the slight crackling of freshly baked goods titillating his memory's ear. With his hand shaking under the strain and an even brighter blue flame threatening to spill out of his hand Naruto practically bored a hole in his hand from staring at it so intently.

"Hah!" Naruto looked down at the new loaf of bread he had created; it looked exactly the same as the first, if not slightly more golden... "I did-" ... and promptly fainted backwards. Shizuku rushed over, her irritation almost instantly being replaced by worry as she quickly checked the blonde over. When she found he was fine and had simply over-exerted himself she had to refrain from slapping him over the head; not that it would do much good with him being unconscious. Fuu on the other hand just sighed with a small eye roll as she walked over, pulling something out of her pouch.

"What are you doing?" Shizuku looked up with caution at the small glass bottle in Fuu's hand, it seemed to be filled with some kind of dark green herb, all crushed up into a paste. Fuu just knelt down, holding the bottle up in front of Naruto's nose.

"I told him I was not carrying him to the next village this time." As soon as she finished speaking Naruto's eyes shot open wider than most would believe possible considering he always had them squinted or narrowed. He nearly shot backwards in surprise, instead scrabbling back on all fours; he accidently kicked the small loaf of bread right at Fuu, who caught it easily.

"Gah! What the heck is that? It smells awful!" Fuu just smiled a little too innocently as she replaced the lid on the bottle and safely tucked it away in her pouch.

"Just a small gift from Minawa in case you fell unconscious again." Naruto's eyes just kept darting to her pouch and back, his face slowly regaining colour. It was almost the second time in an hour that he wanted to retch; the smell was even worse than the first piece of bread he had made. "We should get going now." Naruto just nodded immediately, he didn't trust the all-too-kind smile on Fuu's usually expressionless face, it was just creepy.

The trio quickly made their way in silence, this time with Naruto leading as he was too tired for the Banbutsu Souzou right now. Fuu brought up the rear, looking down curiously at the bread in her hand; it looked okay and she had eaten some pretty nasty things during her time. In the end she just shrugged and took a bite anyway; her stomach might not have been growling but she was still rather hungry. Her face immediately lit up as she smiled reflexively; the bread was warm crunchy and most importantly, delicious!

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Their trip went on in rather awkward silence until they came across another town; the mists had been rather forgiving today so they decided to just walk right through and keep going. They were beginning to enter the more contested regions of Mizu no Kuni and they didn't want to get pulled into anything. However for as long as they had travelled with Naruto they should have known things were never going to be that simple.

The village was very different to that of Minawa's further north; for one thing the Shinobi presence was much greater, or at least more noticeable. It was beginning to look more like how Mizu no Kuni had been described to him, destitute and hopeless. There was a general air of defeat and hopelessness in the air, the residents movements were sluggish and lacking true purpose or energy. There were even a few people on the sides of the street, their skin pale and their bodies thin and malnourished.

It was a heart-wrenching scene to see kids in alleyway, their clothes hanging off their almost skeletal frames, obviously having not seen a good meal in days. It was a good thing most villages and towns in Mizu no Kuni always had a fresh running water source or there might be many more non-combatant casualties in this civil war. Unfortunately if Naruto started handing out what little provisions they had they probably wouldn't have enough food to make it anywhere near Kirigakure.

As they were walking down what appeared to be the main street, lined with what few shops were still open for business, they passed a small group of kids. One of them, a small scruffy girl with dirty brown hair wearing a worn blue dress, bumped into Naruto before apologising in a small timid voice and running off to catch up with her friends. Naruto just smiled sadly at the scene before frowning as he patted where his money pouch was supposed to be.

"Hey!" He turned, only to see the group of kids sprinting off into nearby alleyway. He chased after them, his longer legs and Chakra-enhanced movement allowing him to round the corner of the narrow alley only a few seconds later. However as soon as he stepped foot on the wet cobbles a make-shift smoke bomb went off at his feet, causing him to cough as he breathed some in. However it didn't blind him like it was supposed to, he could clearly see the Chakra of the kids as they ran off.

"Banshou Ten'in." He held out a hand, aiming for the little girl who had bumped into him. By the time the smoke had cleared he had a strong grip on her shoulder as she stared up at him with wide, fearful grey eyes. She cowered slightly under his stern look that quickly softened when he saw just how scared she was.

"Please don't hurt me, I'm sorry!" She held out the pouch in front of her, her hand trembling a little at the thought of the rebuking she would receive. She had heard of kids getting caught after stealing from people trained in Chakra before, especially Shinobi. It was enough to say that Kiri loyalists weren't the most forgiving people and it was very easy to be falsely branded as having a bloodline if you weren't careful.

"Look, I'm not going to hurt you." Naruto got down on one knee and smiled as warmly as he could at the little girl, opening eyes so he would appear less threatening. Unfortunately this had the opposite effect from what he was going for; the girl took one look at his unusual eyes and screamed.

"You have a bloodline!" Naruto was so shocked by the sudden outburst that he didn't resist when she pulled herself out of his now loosened grip and sprinted off, her breath coming out in fearful gasps. Naruto just knelt there, shocked by the little girl's terrified reaction at his eyes. He quickly shook himself out of his shock as he stood, pulling his cloak around himself tighter and swiftly walking out of the alley. His eyes glanced around for any Shinobi that might have heard the outburst; luckily there didn't appear to be any nearby.

A few moments later and he had re-joined Fuu and Shizuku, continuing on down the street until they were out of the village. All the way Shizuku had been looking at him strangely while Fuu was her usual impassive self. However even through the green-haired girl's expressionless façade there were signs of sadness and pity for the people around her. She couldn't help but compare their situation to hers before Naruto came along and she wondered if they would have somebody to save them as well.

"What?" Naruto finally broke the tense silence hanging around the group as he turned to look at Shizuku, who simply tilted her head.

"Do you still believe it would be irresponsible to create money?" Naruto just blinked in surprise at the question before firmly nodding.

"Of course. You shouldn't abuse a power selfishly like that. Anyway we have enough money to get from place to place." Shizuku just shook her head stubbornly, a frown marring her usually care-free features.

"Not for us, for them!" She motioned behind her in the general direction of the town they had passed through. "Don't you think we could help them? Give them enough money to at least buy food?" before Naruto could answer Fuu cut in, her usual monotone voice bouncing slightly in the fog.

"It would be pointless." Shizuku just looked at Fuu, a horrified and disbelieving look on her face.

"How could you say that Fuu! Didn't you see how much they were suffering?" Fuu just shook her head slowly with her face remaining blank and unfeeling, at least outwardly.

"I did, but giving children money that they would just spend on food would merely prolong their lives, not truly help them." Again Shizuku just looked at the girl in disbelief.

"How could you be so cruel? Even if it only prolongs things, it might see them through to the end of this war." Fuu simply shook her head in that same slow, thoughtful manner.

"Not cruel, simply realistic. And what do you expect Naruto to do? Go through every town, handing out money to everybody and anybody that needs it? Inflation would go up, currency would be devalued, goods would become even harder to purchase and ultimately the situation would become worse for everybody." Even though her words were cold and logical there was a hint of remorse in her voice; she didn't particularly like having to be the voice of reason in a mostly emotion-driven group.

"Then what do you suggest we do? Nothing?" Fuu sighed, her head tilting down slightly as she walked.

"In the end this war will stop, one side or the other winning. The country will slowly recover and things will return to some modicum of normalcy; it is a cycle that has repeated through history. You cannot buy the outcome ahead of time." Neither girl noticed Naruto's hand tighten around his shakujou slightly at that, his knuckles becoming white.

"But what about the people suffering in the meantime?" At that Fuu could only sigh; war was not a good thing for anybody involved, regardless of whether you were a part of the conflict or not.

"They will struggle through." Shizuku just frowned deeply, turning to her blonde friend who had stayed silent through the small debate.

"Come on Naruto, what happened to offering what little help we can?" Naruto finally looked up, his face surprisingly weary and saddened, surprising Shizuku when she compared it to his usual calm but generally happy persona.

"Unfortunately, Fuu is right. It would be pointless if we simply do more harm than good." Shizuku, instead of looking annoyed or angry simply looked frustrated, her footsteps becoming heavier as they walked.

"Then what can we do?! I want to help those people!" Naruto just sighed as he thought back to one of Chukaku's many pearls of wisdom.

"It is more important to help people to help themselves, otherwise they will simply end up in the same situation again. That's why it's better to teach a man to fish than just give him a fish." His words were only half-hearted though; like Shizuku he wanted to follow his heart and help as many people as he could. However he also couldn't deny Fuu's hard logic, her reasoning and arguments were sound. It was like having the proverbial devil and angel on his shoulders, except neither was wrong in their own way.

"Okay, then how do we do that?" At this point Shizuku was becoming desperate; it felt like her friends were ganging up on her, like she was the only one who really wanted to help. Of course Fuu and Naruto both wanted to help, but their emotions were tempered with training, or in Naruto's case meditation and many Shogi matches with Chiriku that taught him to think before acting.

"The best way would be to deal with the root of the problem." It was Fuu's voice that cut through the new tense silence that had pervaded for a few moments. Shizuku just looked up, confused; she was trying to figure out what the problem was.

"The war." Naruto's voice came out slightly harsh; naturally as a monk he abhorred violence but wars were the worse end of that spectrum. There were no winners in wars, only survivors and the greedy people at the top who profited off of others' pain loss.

"So we should join a side of the war and help try to end it?" Naruto just shook his head slowly, as did Fuu, confusing the young violette even further.

"It's not that simple Shizuku." The girl just threw her hands up into the air, growling out her frustrations.

"Then what?! Why can't you give me a straight answer? Is that too-?" She was cut off suddenly by a huge explosion that rocked the ground underneath them. They only stayed up by fixing themselves to the floor with Chakra on instinct and reflex. All three head swivelled in an instant in the direction of the deafening noise before they all took off in that same direction. A relatively short sprint later the three emerged into a clearing, although it didn't look like it had been that way more than a few hours ago.

Burning stumps were all that remained of the trees that had once occupied this area of the forest. The floor was lined with craters and scorch marks, evidence of fire and lightning Ninjutsu being used. Worst of all though were the dead bodies scattered around; all of whom appeared to be ninja from their attire, or what was left of it. However their bodies were mutilated, some missing limbs of heads, others were too burned or charred to be even recognisable. Shizuku immediately wretched at the sight; she had never seen something so horrific that it could have come straight from her nightmares.

Naruto on the other hand was reminded of when he first awakened his Rinnegan, the memory of that crater he awoke in with the two mangled bodies that had once been Uchiha; of course this was on a much larger and worse scale. With his eyes roaming the recently created clearing he was able to see the lingering Chakra that was used in the obviously rather brief fight. More eye catching though was one particular source of Chakra that wasn't fading, or at least not as quickly.

"There's a survivor!" He was already moving before he first syllable came from his mouth, leaping over downed or charred trees to land in front of a small pile of bodies. He looked away briefly, sickened by the smell of burnt flesh and blood that permeated the air. He shook himself out of it though, grabbing a charred body and hauling it to the side while trying not to look at the melted face of what had once been a man. He quickly repeated the process three more times until he finally uncovered the person who was still alive.

"Urrgh." She was barely conscious, a young woman maybe three or four years older than he was with burnt orange hair that was taking on a more literal sense considering the ends of her hair were slightly singed. She shifted slightly as the cold air hit her, blinking her eyes open blearily only to wince from her injuries. Naruto quickly pulled the last body off of her, another young woman who didn't get off with just singes to her hair.

"Stay awake, you need to stay awake." The woman's head was starting to fall limply to the side and Naruto didn't want to risk shaking her and aggravate any injuries she might have. He wasn't sure if she heard him but she looked to be at least making a conscious effort to keep her eyes open. Naruto took that as a good sign as he unsealed a small roll of linen bandages he always had on hand for emergencies; he was lucky he hadn't had to use them before now.

Gently he lifted the woman's hand, doing his best to ignore her wince of pain as he uncovered a large wound on her side that she had been covering. It was bleeding steadily and while Naruto didn't know much about medicine he knew that she would most likely bleed out in a few minutes if he didn't stop that. Unfortunately her light grey flak jacket was in the way so Naruto just acted on instinct, applying a light layer of wind Chakra to his palm and slicing straight through the restrictive vest.

The navy undershirt she wore beneath that quickly followed as Naruto uncovered the woman's pale skin. Luckily she wore bandage wraps around her chest, not that Naruto would have been distracted in such a life-threatening situation, but it helped. As best he could Naruto began quickly and tightly wrapping the soft white bandages around her torso, making sure they would tight enough to stop the bleeding. It was a temporary measure at best but it would hold the woman over at least until she could get proper medical attention.

"W-Who are you?" The woman spoke up in a meek voice as soon as he was finished binding the wound, which thankfully wasn't as deep as he had first thought due to her flak jacket lessened the damage.

"Just a traveller, now you should keep quiet and conserve your strength if you can. Is there anywhere nearby we can take you to be treated properly? At best these bandages will only last you an hour." The woman nodded slowly, the action obviously bringing her a lot of pain as her hand instinctively sought out her side. She had a few more injuries obviously but none that were immediately life-threatening.

"It's alright, don't move." Naruto raised a hand and the ground around the Kunoichi softened immediately before rising up into the air like a floating bed. Once Naruto made sure the woman was secure on her sand-stretcher he got her to point out the direction. If the woman was surprised by the strange ability she didn't show it; right now she was struggling just to keep her eyes open. Of course they had barely taken two steps before three men suddenly flickered into the clearing, all of them in Kiri Shinobi attire.

"Sorry kids, we can't let you leave here, especially not with that bloodline scum you're helping." Naruto's eyes narrowed slightly at the men, or at least they would have if they weren't already narrowed to stop people seeing his eyes.

"Are you the ones who did this?" He motioned in a sweeping gesture to the destroyed clearing and numerous bodies littering the ground. The man at the front of the opposing trio just chuckled harshly, a snide grin stretching across his face.

"Nah, we're just the clean up crew sent to deal with any stragglers like that bitch you got there." Naruto's lips twisted in disgust as he unconsciously moved his body between the woman and the three men.

"You come and kill weakened or dying men and women like carrion birds? That's disgraceful." The lead man who appeared to be the Shinobi's spokesperson just sneered, his patience already having worn out.

"We don't need a lecture on ethics from some punk kid, especially when you speak like those things are human." Naruto glared at the man for that; it was xenophobia like this that perpetuated so much hatred in the first place.

"Maybe you do need a lecture, you're obviously ignorant." At that the man's patience, as thin as it already was, completely snapped.

"Like I'll take that from some punk-ass kid barely into his teens!" he quickly tossed a handful of kunai at the blonde, expecting him to simply fall over dead from the speeding projectiles. To his surprise though the flying weapons merely halted dead in mid-air, as it they had hit some invisible wall. They clattered to the ground uselessly not a moment later, Naruto's gaze turning cold as he raised a hand.

The ground around the men's feet suddenly burst upward, already turning to sand as it enclosed around two of them. The first man though was fast enough to realise what was happening and jumped up and away from the ground in time, the sand that would have been his prison closing in on thin air. The Kiri Shinobi caught his breath in a tree at the edge of the recently-made clearing, not having expected any kind of retaliation like that, despite the blonde's strange headband.

"Who are you?" Naruto just remained quite as his hand twisted, sand rising up from the floor and lashing out at the Shinobi like long tentacles of some unspeakable creature. Naruto lacked the same inherent control Gaara had due to only recently gaining his sand abilities but his movements were still deft and swift from practise. Unfortunately the man was obviously a Jounin and was able to avoid most of the dangerous earthen whips. Seeing that he wasn't going to get the situation under control like this and knowing that Yagura would want to hear of this the man made to leave.

"Banshou Ten'in." Unfortunately for him, Naruto predicted his movements, snagging him out of the air where he couldn't dodge or manoeuvre. Suddenly the Kiri Shinobi was flying towards the blonde, his movement out of his control for the moment. Of course he was still a Jounin, one hardened by war no less, and quickly managed to turn the situation to his advantage. He managed to twist his body, pulling the tanto on his back out of its sheath and aiming to take the blonde's head off.

Naruto's eyes widened marginally as he cancelled his technique, diving to the side to avoid the potentially lethal slash. The man rolled to his feet, turning to finish the job with his blade; out of the corner of his eye he saw Fuu about to capitalise on him focusing solely on Naruto. However before anybody could do anything the man was suddenly sent rocketing back, hit by an explosive and invisible wave of pure gravitational forces.

"Shinra Tensei." Naruto slowly lowered his hand, stretching his neck from his uncomfortable landing prompted by his need to dodge the flying blade. He carefully peered into the small line of destruction through the trees the Jounin's body had created, only to detect no Chakra signature. He stretched out his awareness through the ground only to find the same thing, the man was gone.

"He got away." Fuu frowned while Shizuku looked slightly relieved, for a moment there it looked like Naruto was about to lose his head; he needed to be more careful about what he brought closer when using his second Deva Path ability. Quickly though their attention was returned to the woman on the make-shift stretcher as she moaned in pain, carefully clutching the wound in her side. Without further delay the trio turned quartet set off into the forest, heading in the direction the woman pointed when she was able.

Naruto thought it best to bring along the two men he had been able to capture, floating along in similar sand beds, but more restrictive. After about ten minutes Naruto began to worry that wherever this place was they might not make it in time; however when he voiced his concerns the woman merely pointed again, obviously straining to do even that much. Luckily his fears were unfounded as not even a minute later five masked figures appeared around the group in various body flickers, all staring at them suspiciously.

"Nezumiiro!" One of the shinobi, a woman if the slight curves to her armour didn't lie, rushed forward, quickly checking over the orange-haired woman on the sand bed. One of the males in the group quickly walked over to Naruto as he could see it was that blonde who was maintaining the floating structure. He also spared a quick glance to the two men held captive in veritable cocoons of sand, obvious loyalist as he didn't recognise them.

"What happened? Where did you find this woman?" Naruto looked up at the man, he had lank grey hair that was tied back into a short pony-tail and had a simple porcelain mask with slits for eyes and a wave-like red pattern across one side.

"I found her in a clearing; she had been attacked and was leading me to where she could find treatment." The man nodded, glancing over to see the woman still painfully holding her side, the bandages now soaked almost completely through by blood. He seemed to think for a moment, as if weighing up various things in his head before nodding once.

"Are you able to maintain that bed for another five minutes?" Naruto just nodded; if he needed to he could keep up this sand for another few hours. "Alright then, follow us, but keep your hands to yourselves, if we see any signs you might endanger our camp we will not hesitate to cut you and your companions down." Naruto just nodded quickly rather anxious to get the woman somewhere with proper medical care. As they walked he missed the same grey-haired man carefully eyeing him up, glancing between him and his companions.

'_Blonde spiky hair, dressed like a monk, green-haired and purple-haired female companions... he matches the report, but who exactly is he and how is he able to manipulate sand like that?'_


	27. Water III

**Yosh! Digi-kun doesn't own Naruto-kun, for that he has earned the right to be my eternal rival, our flames of youth will burn doubly bright!**

* * *

**Sage**

_"All wars are civil wars, because all men are brothers." – Francois Fenelon_

* * *

It was a few days after the incident involving the Kiri Shinobi and the rebel forces, and Naruto was currently sitting in a small tent near the centre of a large camp. When they had arrived at the rebel camp Naruto had been surprised when they were allowed in, he thought they would have been forced to leave in case they were spies. Apparently the captain of the camp, an older man with long dark brown hair named Tsurugi, needed them to stay until his commander came and asked them a few questions.

Naturally Naruto and Shizuku had been worried about this, Fuu being her usual self merely stayed impassive. Of course they were quickly assured that if they meant no ill-will towards the rebels, as their rescue of the Kunoichi they found had shown, then nothing bad would happen. Of course that didn't particularly ease their worries; Shinobi weren't known to be the most honest people, even if Naruto found their goals to be honourable.

He had found out this was one of the many hidden camps scattered through the contested regions of Mizu no Kuni, and that there were even some deep within Kiri-controlled territories. Of course he wasn't foolish enough to ask where these other camps was, that would be far too suspicious; although that didn't mean he wasn't curious. He presumed the camps themselves were hidden by a combination of various Genjutsu, traps and the mists, which seemed to work to both sides' favour and disadvantage.

Technically the group was being held captive by the rebels, but it wasn't all bad; they weren't treated poorly, although the Shinobi obviously came first. It had also been a prime opportunity to talk to various Shinobi, especially about water Jutsu and affinities. Shizuku especially loved the extra help from Shinobi who were happy to help a young girl with something as mundane as a water affinity; Naruto figured it was a good escape from the fighting. It made sense that training affinities would remind the older and more veteran Shinobi of their youth, back before all the war and bloodshed.

Under their guidance Shizuku had made leaps and bounds with the second stage, creating a whirlpool with nothing but manipulation of water Chakra. Naruto had also begun to practise his own water technique, once again noting that it felt easier somehow with each passing element he mastered. He wondered if by isolating and controlling each of his various affinities it made it simpler to access the rest; it made sense when he thought about it. He smiled at the thought; remembering his original goal of understanding Chakra so long ago.

It had now been almost a year and three months since leaving the Fire Temple, Naruto was twelve and had been for two months. That much was for certain just as it was obvious to everybody else; Decembers were viciously cold in Mizu no Kuni, especially to those that weren't natives. Luckily the further they moved south the milder the climate became; but that didn't stop the thin layers of frost that covered the ground each morning. The torrential and perpetual rain wasn't helping all that much either, which was why Naruto smiled as Shizuku ducked under the flap of the tent.

"Hey Naruto, you wanted to see me right?" The blonde just nodded cheerfully as he stood up from his meditative position on the ground. He had tried speaking to his tenants again only to find Matatabi asleep, something he found she did quite often, Shukaku his usual psychotic self, and the Kyuubi being even more stubborn than usual.

"Yeah, come on, I want to try something." He quickly ducked under the flap of the tent with Shizuku hot on his heels, the both of them ignoring the rain falling around them. Shizuku practically lived in it anyway and Naruto had gotten used to his after all his time travelling with her; it was just one of those things you learned to live with; at least, before now.

"Come on Naruto, where are you taking me?" The blonde had a cheeky smile on his face but didn't answer, instead taking Shizuku's hand in his own and carrying on. The violette just looked at his larger hand, smiling nervously as she felt his warmth flow into her from the contact. She had to refrain from giggling like a schoolgirl as the young monk led her through the camp to a small area near the outer edge where she had been training in her water affinity.

There was a small stream that ended in a pond which made it perfect for her and the space was large and open for practising Jutsu. Naruto simply cast a keen gaze around the clearing; it would suit his needs perfectly. There were various seals set up around both the perimeter of the clearing and the camp itself to stop any usage of Chakra being detected by loyalists. It allowed the rebels to practise and hone their skills in preparation for conflicts in safety.

"Alright, this should do." Shizuku just laughed playfully as they stopped, noticing with a raised eyebrow Naruto had not let go of her hand, not that she was going to inform him. With some trepidation and a flutter of anxiety she noticed they were all alone, the training ground was conspicuously empty.

"Come on Naruto, should do for what?" Naruto just grinned again, making Shizuku's heart do a double take for a second time.

"Simple, we're going to stop it from raining." Shizuku blinked once, then twice, then she just looked at Naruto strangely for a moment.

"Didn't you already do that with your gravity abilities?" Naruto just shook his head, that same infectious grin splitting his face.

"Nah, that's too easy." As if to make his point he raised a hand and suddenly Shizuku felt very odd, like there was nothing holding her down on the ground any more. She had to anchor herself with Chakra or she felt as though she would simply float away. More incredibly though the rain around them had stopped falling; the drops just hung in the air like little spherical pieces of glass held up by invisible strings. The purple-haired girl just looked around in wonder at the impossible scene, smiling uncontrollably as she saw the world distorted through a thousand drops of water. Of course it had to come to an end as Naruto lowered his arm and allowed the rain to fall once more.

"Wow." Still Naruto's grin didn't dissipate, if anything it grew stronger seeing Shizuku's awed and genuinely happy smile.

"That's nothing; you're going to stop it entirely." Shizuku just looked around at the blonde; she was obviously sceptical but after that miraculous event she was slightly more inclined to believe him.

"How?" Naruto just smiled as he took her other hand, causing the girl to blush as red steadily overtook her naturally pale skin tone. He sat down, pulling Shizuku with him until they were sat opposite one another; Shizuku with her legs folded beneath her and Naruto in his classic meditative position. He smiled gently at her, reaffirming his grip on her hands before looking up at the sky, uncaring of the droplets of water pattering on his face.

"Focus Shizuku, I want you to treat this like a normal Water Chakra exercise." The violette just looked at Naruto strangely, wondering just what he was planning, and why he needed to hold her hand to do it; not that she was complaining. "Reach out with your Chakra, feel it jumping between every drop of rain and push it back." Shizuku frowned but complied all the same, closing her eyes and imagining just what Naruto had described.

She used the droplets of water on her face as a medium, breathing deeply as she pushed her Chakra outwards, shifting its nature to water once it left her body. She kept pushing, feeling as her Chakra leapt from individual droplets around her in a small sphere of influence about five feet wide. Around there she began to struggle, beads of sweat joining the rain on her forehead as her hands trembled slightly from the exertion. She opened her eyes, amazed as she saw the rain around her lightening up while outside her little bubble it was still just as heavy.

"I can't do any more." He voice was slightly strained from the stress she was putting into the strange exercise. However she immediately felt Naruto tighten his grip on her hands, the warmth of his skin relaxing her slightly.

"It's alright, don't give up." Shizuku nodded determinedly, pouring all the Chakra she could into holding off the rain around her. She nearly jolted off the floor when a massive influx of Chakra suddenly raced through her body. She was suddenly full of energy again, like a fire had been lit deep within her; when she opened her eyes again she only saw Naruto's smiling face. She realised with a start she was using his Chakra, the thought bringing a smile to her face as well a rosy blush to her cheeks when she realised a bit of Naruto was inside of her.

It was an incredible feeling, compared to her own reserves the Chakra running through her body felt practically unlimited, like she could use as much as she needed and never feel tired. It was like seeing the ocean for the first time, struggling to comprehend just how vast it was as it stretched out into the horizon. She pushed out again, exerting her control over the new source of Chakra and practically bathing the area around them in pure water-natured Chakra. The next time she opened her eyes it had stopped raining completely, she couldn't even see the edge of whatever clearing they had made in the downpour.

"We did it." Her voice was quiet, as if she still didn't quite believe what she was saying; her eyes were roaming the area in shock and awe. Suddenly she shot to her feet, throwing her hands up and crying out in joy. "We did it!" Naruto got to his feet more sedately, smiling as Shizuku just laughed up at the sky, sometimes pointing as if in defiance. It was the first time in her life she had been underneath the clouds and it had not rained on her. Suddenly her head shot around at Naruto, her eyes fixed on him as her features were locked in an ecstatic grin.

"Oof!" He was suddenly knocked to the ground as Shizuku practically tackled him, something she was beginning to have a knack for much to his chagrin. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, laughing and grinning, obviously trying to crush Naruto to death from the grip she had in him. After a moment or two she settled for just setting her face against his chest and quietly mumbling thank you over and over. When she finally sat back, now straddling Naruto in a rather awkward manner, she still had that same grin in her face, which slowly faded as she noticed the way Naruto was looking at her.

"Naruto?" He was staring up at her, eyes opened and smile gone; it was replaced by a look she had never seen in him before and couldn't place. What she didn't know was that Naruto was simply transfixed by the sight before him. Shizuku for once wasn't wearing her Miko outfit; she had to wash them at some point after all. Instead she had a tight navy shirt and simply black leggings that did nothing to hide her developing body, especially as they were both soaked through from the rain before and the clothes were clinging to her frame.

"Um Naruto?" He never stopped looking at her as he leaned up, propping himself up on his elbows as Shizuku suddenly found their faces only a few inches apart. For a moment she was captivated by his eyes, the same eyes that had always held her attention. She felt as though she could be hypnotised by the swirling concentric circles. She almost flinched as Naruto raised a hand to wipe off a single drop of rain that was clinging to her cheek, snapping her out of her chance.

"Naruto?" Her voice was quiet, barely a whisper as the blonde moved closer and she found herself mirroring the action. Soon their noses were touching, their breath coming in faster as they found both their heart rates quickening. Then, just like that, their lips met; however unlike last time this kiss was anything but chaste. Naruto found his hand naturally moving to the back of Shizuku's head, trying to deepen the intimate contact while Shizuku placed her hands on Naruto's cheeks.

When they finally parted their breathing was even more ragged and small smiles played across their faces. Then, like any good thing, they went back for more.

* * *

They had to wait a whole other day before the commander finally turned up, a tall man with spiked up blue hair in the shape of a shark's fin. He wore a battle kimono, the standard attire of a Kiri hunter-nin as well as an eye-patch over his right eye. He met Naruto outside of the command tent for the small camp, the only place Naruto and his friends had not been allowed access to besides the armoury. Although he did get a glimpse inside when the man came out, managing to spot a table filled with maps and little icons representing troops and bases.

He couldn't help but imagine that standing over a table with nothing but a two-dimensional map and some plastic figurines, it would be easy to forget that they represent real people. It was like some large game of Shogi, but instead of small pieces of labelled wood it was living, breathing humans who could really die. He shook himself of the thoughts, leaving the strategizing to the rebels as he looked up at the much taller Shinobi.

"So you're the kid the reports were talking about?" Naruto was slightly unnerved by the man's piercing gaze; even with only one eye it seemed as though he could see right through the blonde. "I heard you had some interesting abilities." Naruto said nothing, just returning the man's cool gaze with his own calm mask. "What's your name?" Naruto smiled slightly wider but answered all the same.

"Naruto Uzumaki." The man's eyebrow rose slightly but he didn't comment; he unknowingly shared thoughts that Naruto himself had a few times.

"Ao." At that Naruto raised an eyebrow; before in the camp there had basically been a policy of not telling him or his friends any of the Shinobi's names. He had only learned the captain's name from overhearing it when a Shinobi had given a report. Ao noticed the look and just grimaced slightly, crossing his arms over his chest. "Trust me kid, telling you my name means nothing; I'm known to the loyalists by description anyway so there's little you can do with it." Naruto just nodded quickly, it wasn't like he was going to report this place to the loyalists.

"I'm gonna get straight to the point Gaki, what are your intentions?" Naruto just raised a hand disarmingly; he had left his Shakujou in the tent the three had been sleeping in.

"I'm just a travelling monk. I had heard of the situation Mizu no Kuni was in and wanted to see if there was anything I could do to help." Ao just grunted at that; it wasn't a total lie, just as it wasn't completely the truth. It wasn't like Naruto was going to admit he was running away from Kumogakure Shinobi for stealing one of their most prized artefacts.

"Trust me kid, you should just leave while you can. A few people have tried the same thing you have and have either gone home with a couple scratches or not at all." That was something else Naruto already knew, but he just inclined his head politely all the same.

"I think me and my companions will stay for a while longer, there are still things we wish to do in the area." Ao narrowed his eye slightly while frowning at what he thought was another stubborn kid who didn't know any better.

"I don't think you understand kid, from the reports one of the Shinobi you encountered got away. He will most likely have reported to Yagura or one of his superiors by now, that puts you and your friends in danger." Naruto simply smiled softly, surprising Ao with how calm he seemed to be despite the obvious danger to his life.

"I wouldn't worry about me or my friends Ao-san, we're perfectly capable of defending ourselves." Again Ao merely frowned, he already knew that to some degree thanks to the very detailed reports he had to go through. Even in a civil war, nobody of a high-ranking position was safe from paperwork.

"Yes, the sand ability you were seen using." Naruto simply smiled and waved his hand, a small pillar of earth rising up and deconstructing into the element he was now so adept at wielding. Ao stared at the small construct before Naruto allowed it to drop, peering at it as if he could see through it. "An interesting ability, combined with your large Chakra reserves and you could be quite powerful as a Shinobi." Naruto just smiled again, having no intention of ever becoming a Shinobi.

"I didn't take you for a sensor." Ao just grunted as a response, something Naruto was relatively used to from his talks with his tenant and knew to mean 'mind your own business'.

"Anyway kid, word of advice; when we finally let you leave the base start heading either out of the country, or at the very least east. The fighting's not as bad out there and you should lay low for a while until Yagura's interest in you decreases. He's not somebody you want as an enemy, ask any of the rebels here; he alone has killed more of us than any other loyalist." Naruto just nodded again in thanks for the advice, before pausing in thought.

"When you finally let us leave?" Ao just nodded, his interest in the conversation already waning; he had more important things to do like fight a war.

"Our camps shift positions occasionally; you'll be allowed to leave when this one moves. We obviously can't let you just leave knowing the position of one of our forward bases." Ao didn't even wait to see if Naruto understood or not, he just gave a curt wave of his hand and ducked under the flaps into the command tent. He couldn't help shake the feeling that this wasn't the last time he would be seeing Naruto.

* * *

It was finally the day that the three were allowed to leave; the camp was abuzz with activity as people went about their business. Tents were being disassembled all around them, rations and supplies being stored into scrolls for transport and the equipment was being distributed to spread the load when they moved. Naruto was currently ducking around people carrying large poles and pieces of tent to get to the medical tent, the last that would be pulled down. He had visited the woman he rescued, Nezumiiro, a few times during their stay with the rebels however she was mostly too tired or weak to hold any length of conversation.

However today she had been cleared to leave her bed and start on some light exercises to get her body back on the track to recovery. Unfortunately in war people weren't too picky about their soldiers, regardless of injury. If they could fight then they were given a weapon and told to fight, for whatever cause that particular side thought was just or right. Of course there were those who genuinely believed in their cause, which was good of course, but ultimately they were names on a list; where exactly that list was got decided at the end of the war.

He ducked into the small tent, noting that it was conspicuously absent of people save for one Shinobi guard, probably a Chuunin, and the three or four patients lying on beds. Medical Shinobi were a rare commodity even in peace time, there were none at this camp. He understood that most of the care or treatment was done by civilian doctors who were brave enough to enter the front lines. He thought they were brave as ultimately medics were the main targets for enemies due to their ability to keep Shinobi going for longer.

"Hi Naruto." The woman waved at him with a weak smile; the two had gotten along well once she was informed Naruto was the one who saved her. He had been right, had the woman not received the basic first aid he had given her she would have bled out minutes after he found her. Luckily the girl hadn't sworn her undying fealty to Naruto or something like that, the blonde wasn't sure how he would have felt with yet another girl in their group, the situation with Shizuku was getting complicated enough as it was.

"Hey Nezumiiro." He waved back at her with a smile as the orange-haired girl sat up in the bed, wincing only a little from her injury which had gotten substantially better after proper treatment. She wouldn't be able to fight for a few months but she at least wouldn't be permanently crippled, or worse dead. "Hey, take it easy." The girl just chuckled as she scooted back in the bed so she could lean against the wall of the tent.

"Heh, that's a funny thing to say to a Kunoichi Naruto, we don't know how to take it easy." The blonde just sighed with a small smile, from the interaction he had with the girl he was able to tell she was very passionate in everything she did. Be it training, her family or even her pride over the rebellion, Nezumiiro never did anything by the half measure. "So we're leaving today, have you thought about what I said some more?" Naruto's reply was a sad smile to which the older girl simply nodded in understanding.

During their talks Nezumiiro had accidently caught a glimpse of Naruto's eyes; thankfully she was grateful enough to him not to tell anybody else. However it had managed to spark her into asking why he didn't join the rebellion with them when he too had a bloodline trait. Of course Naruto had been adamant that he could not condone or take part in violence except in self-defence. It was enough to say Nezumiiro had been very active in trying to persuade Naruto to help. She had seen some of what he could do in the clearing and thought he would be a great help in the fight.

"I understand your reasons Naruto, but what we're doing is for the good of the entire country. Mizu no Kuni can never heal from the massacres if Yagura stays Mizukage; if you help us I'm sure we can bring him down even faster." Naruto smiled lightly; he suspected if the girl wasn't injured and had the entire right side of her body bandaged she would be gesticulating wildly as she talked.

"I think you overestimate me slightly Nezumiiro." The girl just shook her head fiercely, wincing from the action with a small grimace.

"No way! I bet If you and my Aunt Mei teamed up you could easily take down the Mizukage!" Naruto chuckled; he had heard a lot about Nezumiiro's aunt, the leader of the bloodline rebellion Mei Terumi. From what he had heard she was incredibly powerful, able to utilise two elemental bloodline limits in combat. He had also gathered that she was remarkably beautiful, but that was more from some of the lewd comment he had heard being made by the male Shinobi around the camp.

"I'm just a monk Nezumiiro." The girl simply snorted at that, looking straight into Naruto's currently narrowed eyes.

"Yeah, a monk with a legendary Douj-" She was cut off as Naruto threw a hand over her mouth, the rest coming out as muffled and indignant protests.

"Shh, I don't want people to find out; I've already told you that." The girl simply stared at him with large eyes, unable to talk until Naruto removed his hand.

"But why not? You'd get loads of respect and people in the rebellion would look up to you with such a powerful bloodline." This time her voice was quieter, a visible effort on her part to do so as she was mindful of the others in the room.

"Exactly, I would have all that attention on me, people might come after me hoping to fight me, or to somehow use me or my eyes to their ends. It would put myself, but more importantly my friends in danger until I am strong enough to defend us." Nezumiiro simply pouted, her arms crossing underneath her chest in a very distracting manner.

"But you're plenty strong!" Naruto just smiled softly, patting the girl on the shoulder.

"Not strong enough." The orange-haired girl simply maintained her pout, not understanding why her new friend wouldn't use his abilities to help the rebellion.

"But when is strong enough?" At that Naruto's smile saddened slightly.

"Hopefully I will never have to find out." With that Fuu came into the tent to tell him they were finally being allowed to leave the camp before going back out to find Shizuku. Naruto turned to a now confused Nezumiiro, the girl looking at the hand he had on her shoulder. "I guess this is goodbye then Nezumiiro." The girl seemed to shake her head on her confusion, smiling brightly up at the blonde. He should have known nothing could dampen the vibrant girl's spirits for too long.

"Nah, we'll see each other again, I know it! I still have to introduce you to Aunt Mei, she'll be able to convince you, I just know it!" Naruto just smiled again, patting her once on the shoulder before turning and leaving the tent. Nezumiiro never lost her confident smile as she settled back down on the medical bed.

* * *

The trio were back on the road again, or more correctly they were back in the forest, blindly heading east as they had been advised. Now that both Naruto and Shizuku had the means to complete their water exercises there was no longer any reason for them to go to Kirigakure. There was also the small fact that Kiri was on complete lockdown; nobody went in or out without being thoroughly searched. Without proper identification it was unlikely they would get close and even if they did, if Naruto's eyes were seen they would instantly be arrested, or at least they would attempt to arrest them.

Naruto wasn't exactly sure what to do next; technically there was nothing really for them to do in Mizu no Kuni, except Naruto still felt as though he had a purpose here. It was like there still something he had to do, but he hadn't quite found out what yet. Nezumiiro's words still rang in his head, he kept wondering if it was wrong to turn down the offer to join the rebellion. It went against his peaceful views, yet at the same time he couldn't deny what Yagura was doing was just wrong.

Unfortunately he was hardly a politician, not that there hadn't been attempts at negotiation. Yagura had apparently been unwilling to listen to any of the bloodline clans and anybody who argued in their defence was simply labelled as traitors to the village and to the country. It had gotten to the point where the Water Daimyo had to flee the country for his own safety, leaving it squarely in the control of the Shinobi village. It had basically been martial law until the rebellion began.

They passed through a few more towns and villages on their journey east, each bore the scars of war. Whether it was people on the streets, the increased Rebel or Loyalist presence, the general air of fear or the hopelessness hanging over the people, the war seemed to be taking its toll on everybody. It actually made Naruto fear what he might find if he went further south. Eventually though they reached the eastern coast of Mizu no Kuni's main island and Naruto still hadn't come up with their next move.

However looking out over the sea, a bright golden beach beneath them at the bottom of the cliffs they were standing on, he could almost forget the war-torn country behind him, almost. He sighed wearily, they'd had a long journey and each of them was tired, some relaxation would probably do them some good. The veritable beach of sand made it very easy for Naruto to set up a quick hut, getting them out of the sudden sun that had emerged from the clouds. Shizuku beamed at the sight, she had never thought she would ever get to enjoy a beach in the sunlight and only wished she had a bathing suit.

"Wow, this place is beautiful!" Naruto couldn't help but agree with Shizuku's declaration, he just wished the rest of the country could be as calm and tranquil as this single stretch of sea and sand.

"It certainly lives up to the portrayal in books." Naruto was rather surprised to hear some actual emotion in Fuu's voice, she sounded genuinely pleased at the sight which in turn raised his own spirits.

"I guess we earned a day off." Through their travels east Naruto had worked on his Banbutsu Souzou almost religiously, handing off any food he made to people as he passed. He figured it wasn't like money; he was simply feeding people like he would anyway had he the supplies to spare. Luckily he managed to fix the issue with the taste otherwise he might have been doing more harm than good. Anyway, the things he made had to go somewhere; he found that when he made food he couldn't simply convert it back into the black dust; it seemed fixed as whatever he had created.

Suddenly the quiet, serene atmosphere was disturbed by a strangely loud bird call; Naruto looked up into the relatively clear sky but didn't see anything. However not even moments later the same call cried out, even closer that time. Deciding to ignore the annoying bird Naruto turned his attention to the sea, besides bounding between Kaminari no Kuni and Mizu no Kuni he never had the opportunity to actually enjoy the ocean before.

"Naruto!" Shizuku's scream of surprise jolted him into action, turning his head this way and that to see where she was. However to his horror the girl was high up in the air, tightly bound in the talons of an enormous eagle that was flying out to sea. She was out of range of his Banshou Ten'in before he could even blink. Quickly getting a grip after the strange sight he took off after the girl, only for the large bird to fly even faster, quickly fading into the distance. He heard his name briefly on the wind before he lost sight of the girl and the bird altogether.

"SHIZUKU!"


	28. Water IV

**Digi does not own Naruto-kun, but he fights for those precious to him and that is what makes him strong**

* * *

**Sage**

_"War does not determine who is right - only who is left." – Bertrand Russell_

* * *

"SHIZUKU!"

Getting over his shock Naruto immediately raced forward, running out onto the surprisingly calm ocean waters. However the bird was very fast, he had already lost sight of it by the time Fuu caught up to him. "Damn it!" He quickly moulded his Chakra, about to summon something that would let him catch up to her when he felt a hand quickly grab onto his arm, stopping him from slamming it down.

"Naruto." The blonde rounded on Fuu angrily, surprising his fellow Jinchuuriki by the determination in his eyes.

"What Fuu?! We don't have time right now!" The girl held his gaze for a moment, her grip on his arm tightening slightly when he went to pull away and complete the technique.

"Calm down Naruto, you have to think." Fuu knew this would be difficult for the monk, he was very emotion-driven and when he got carried away he tended to act without thinking first, especially when it came to his friends in trouble. Of course there was also the fact that with every second they wasted Shizuku was being carried further and further away to who knows where.

"But-" Naruto was about to argue but something in Fuu's hardened orange eyes made him falter; relenting for the moment he stood up straight and took a deep breath, calming his worry and anger. He nearly slapped himself for being so stupid when he realised what he could do instead of going after Shizuku. "Damn, I could just summon her back!" Fuu smiled, a relieved sigh leaving her as she stepped back on the water; she was glad Naruto wasn't too taken by his emotions.

"Kuchiyose!" Naruto was feeling a little sheepish he had gotten so carried away over such a simple problem, at least until the smoke from his technique cleared to reveal... nothing. "What the hell?!" At this Naruto began to panic again, there was no way the bird could have possibly gotten outside of his range yet, hell he didn't even know he had a range for summoning. He hated to think it, but even if Shizuku had been killed, he should have still been able to summon her body.

"What's wrong?" Naruto just turned to Fuu helplessly, he didn't know why his Animal path suddenly wasn't working, it had never happened before.

"I-I don't know, something's blocking my ability to summon Shizuku." Fuu frowned at that; it meant they would have to go after her after all. The only problem was they had no idea where that giant eagle, that now she thought about it had to be a summon itself, had gone. Naruto seemed to share her thoughts as he immediately slammed his hands back down again, pouring in more Chakra this time.

"KUCHIYOSE!" Again the smoke cleared only to reveal nothing, the Chakra Naruto had used rushing back into him from the failed summoning. "Damn it, we'll have to go after her!" This time when he slammed his hand down the sealing matrix spread out as it should have, encompassing a large area of the water they were standing on. "Kuchiyose!" A large squawk sounded through the area as the smoke this time parted to reveal that same large drill-beaked bird Naruto had summoned in Kaminari no Kuni.

"Get on!" Both quickly jumped up on the bird's back, the creature seemingly paying them no mind as they grabbed onto the spike sticking out of its neck. With barely a thought from the blonde the bird pushed its enormous wings down, lifting them into the air at an astonishing rate. Naruto had considered trying to summon the bird that had taken Shizuku but he wasn't sure what would happen then, if Shizuku would be brought with it or not. He didn't want to risk Shizuku being dropped into the ocean from such a height. Chakra training or not that would surely kill her, or at least injure her enough to make her be paralyzed and drown.

Without any clear destination Naruto had the giant summon fly in the direction they had seen the eagle go, northeast out to sea. As the minutes trickled by and they continued to see nothing both Naruto and Fuu grew more worried for their friend, Fuu hiding it better behind her expressionless mask. Finally though, when they had begun to enter a slightly more turbulent and stormy area of the sea Fuu spotted something.

"Over there!" Naruto nearly fell off his summon as he turned so suddenly, peering out in the direction Fuu pointed. His superior eyes easily made out the small dot of an island a few miles away. It was the only lead they had so Naruto steered his summon in that direction. As they grew closer they soon saw the island wasn't as small as they had originally thought; it looked around two miles wide with a volcanic-looking mountain to one side mostly shrouded in thick forests. The two shared a look as they approached the out of the way island, nodding to one another.

"If the Eagle took her to its nest it'll be high up on the mountain somewhere and if it returned to its summoner the most secure location will be inside the mountain anyway." Naruto just nodded, he had similar thoughts and quickly directed the bird towards the mountain. As they passed over the shore of the island Naruto began to look out for any kind of structure beneath them that would give them an idea of where Shizuku might have been taken. Unfortunately he was looking off the wrong side of the bird and missed the sudden attack.

"Look out!" Luckily Fuu was vigilant enough, but still wasn't able to react in time to stop the long golden chains that suddenly appeared around the summon. In seconds it had been ensnared, the movement of its wings suddenly halted making its trajectory suddenly plummet. More surprisingly though what Naruto had at first mistaken for long golden chains actually appeared to be glowing golden symbols, threaded together like a rope. Soon they tightened too much and the summon was forced to dismiss itself, suddenly leaving Naruto and Fuu in mid-air.

"Fuu!" Naruto tried to reach out a hand to grab his mint-haired friend but they were already too far apart and falling too quickly. Turning his attention to his own plummet he missed as a cloak of red Chakra suddenly ignited around the girl, wings spreading out and quickly halting her fall. Naruto wasn't so lucky as unfortunately reducing gravity's effects on him would do nothing while he was already falling and he had only seconds before he would hit the ground, not enough time to summon again. It left him with only one choice as he neared the dangerously approaching earth.

"Shinra Tensei!" A few feet of the ground Naruto braced himself, firing out a wave of gravitational forces he hoped would be enough to halt his downwards momentum. Unfortunately it only slowed him down; he still hit the ground with enough force to create a small crater. If his body had not subconsciously re-enforced itself with Chakra he would have surely broken more than a few bones. As it was he found himself lying in the ground, groaning in pain as he felt his consciousness drift away. The last thing he saw was a flash of red hair before his eyes closed.

* * *

Fuu drifted to a gentle stop on the ground in the nearest clearing she could spot; she had lost sight of Naruto when he fell. She thought he was somewhere to the east of her. Quickly she allowed her Bijuu cloak to drop, shuddering as she felt the vile Chakra retreat back into the seal over her left breast, right above her heart. She still despised using that Charka; she wanted to be strong by herself, not by borrowed power. She only used it as a last resort or when there was no other option, like when she needed to fly. And that had definitely been a time she needed to fly.

She was beating herself up a little as the potent Chakra fully receded; if only she had acted quicker. If she had noticed faster she might have been able to fly after Shizuku before it was too late, but she had hesitated out of shock. If she had only noticed the strange golden chains sooner she might have been able to warn Naruto in time for him to deal with it. She cursed her own inability to protect her friends, and now she was out here in the forest, all alone, not knowing if they were safe or not.

Pulling herself out of her own pity she quickly ran off in the direction she thought Naruto had landed, knowing he would have come up with something to at least cushion his fall, he was just resourceful like that. She probably wouldn't admit it but Fuu really looked up to Naruto, apart from the fact he saved her he was also strong. He was the first person to ever defeat her, even if it was only sparring, and he did so without any borrowed power.

While she conceded his Rinnegan gave him certain advantages, she admitted that was the same for any bloodline. It was the fact Naruto never used his own Doujutsu arrogantly or to the extremes, only when it was necessary and even then in moderation. In a way Fuu was a little envious that he could use his Doujutsu, making him less reliant on the Bijuu inside of him. She was shaken from her thoughts as she entered a small clearing with a roughly human-sized crater; unfortunately for her it was empty.

Frowning, the girl looked around, knowing that if Naruto had stayed conscious through an impact like that, which was doubtful given the speed he must have hit to make a crater like that, then he couldn't have gone too far. She crouched down, touching the floor gently as she pulsed out some Chakra through the earth. Soon enough a few insects gathered around her, feeding her information in their unique non-verbal way that she could only understand thanks to her tenant. It was another unwanted, but undeniably useful 'gift' her status as the Jinchuuriki of the Nanabi gave her.

However she became worried when the insects informed her somebody had been here, but they had been taken away by a different Chakra source. She quickly picked up their trail, dashing off as fast as she could, only hoping that she wasn't too late once again. However before she got too far her danger senses kicked in, allowing her to throw herself to one side in time to avoid the attack of some large animal. When she jumped to her feet from her roll and turned she was surprised to find a giant centipede staring straight at her, its mandibles clicking ominously.

Fuu remained quiet as the human and creature stared the other down, wondering all the while why she couldn't communicate with this particular insect. With a start she realised it was a summon, too late to capitalise on that fact before the giant bug launched forward, obviously intent on bisecting her with its sharpened mandibles, dripping with an indeterminable fluid. However even as she dived out of the way of the linear attack the mint-haired girl was running through hand seals, finishing as she got back to her feet.

"Takigakure-Ryuu: Mizukiri no Yaiba." Before she was even finished speaking a long blade of water materialised in her hand, drawing from the moisture in the air and from the water in Fuu's body. She crouched into a careful stance, eyeing the centipede for any more signs of an attack. The creature didn't disappoint as it lunged forward again, obviously not the most intelligent summon with such predictable and repeated attacks. This time though Fuu was ready, as the clicking mandibles came closer she sent Chakra to her legs, allowing her to jump up and over the insect.

The massive arthropod tried to follow her with its head and adjust its attack but it was already too late. Fuu slashed down, cleanly slicing through the insect's head and continuing with the cut as she fell, neatly bisecting the entire creature down the length. When she landed in a crouch she cancelled her technique and sighed, standing as the summoned animal slowly split apart, falling to the floor before vanishing in a brief cloud of smoke back to its own realm.

Fuu was about to take off again when a decidedly angry hissing noise caught her attention. When she looked around she was greeted to the sight of an enormous snake, its scales a mottled and pale green. It hung from one of the larger trees in the area as its dull yellow eyes stared at her intently. Fuu could only sigh as the water-cutting sword once more grew from her hand and she settled back into her stance.

"How inconvenient."

* * *

When Naruto woke up he put a hand on his forehead, groaning slightly from the intense headache he had. From the light streaming through the windows of wherever he was he estimated it had only been around an hour since he had fallen unconscious. Speaking of which, he looked around, noticing he was in some kind of bedroom; the walls were stone but were painted a warm red. It was fairly Spartan in all, only the bed he was lying on and a desk in the corner providing furniture. He swung his legs off the bed at the same moment somebody walked through the door.

"Oh, you're up already!" Naruto just blinked at the girl who had walked in, he was rather surprised to see she had a look of genuine concern on her face as she hurried over. She had long red hair, tied up in two bangs at the front by a simple white headband. She wore a rather ornate blue and yellow kimono-styles dress that ended in a short skirt. Most strange though was the long translucent ribbon that streamed behind her like two tails, that and the fact she was barefoot.

"Uh, where am I?" The girl just fumbled her hands over one another, looking oddly nervous for some reason before finally hanging her head, ashamed.

"I'm really sorry, when I saw the bird flying overhead I thought you were an enemy and Matsumoto-sensei told me that if I saw anybody like that I was supposed to capture them." She looked up, her arms waving in front of her desperately. "But I didn't mean for you to fall like that! My technique is only supposed to be used to bind things." Again she looked down, obviously upset with herself for nearly hurting somebody.

"Uh, it's okay, nobody got hurt after all." Suddenly though his eyes widened as he looked around. "Wait! Where's Fuu?" The girl just looked at him, obviously confused.

"Sorry, I only found you. If your friend also fell then they're somewhere out in the forest." Naruto immediately got to his feet, already making for the door when he felt a hand grip his arm. "Wait! You can't go out there! The summoned animals will attack anybody they don't recognise!" Naruto paused, looking around at the girl who was looking fearful for his safety; odd considering she was the person who made him fall in the first place.

"All the more reason to go find my friend, if she's hurt out there then she could be in trouble." He was about to break away from the girl and leave when he stopped, once again nearly slapping himself for his idiocy. The redhead simply watched in confusion as Naruto took a breath before slamming his palm into the wooden floor of her room. "Kuchiyose." The girl watched the seal matrix spread out, which she instantly recognised as a summoning contract seal, before the room was bathed in white smoke.

"Ah Naruto, I was wondering when you might summon me." Naruto had the decency to look slightly sheepish as Fuu gave him a blank look.

"Give me a break, I've been unconscious for who longs how long." Fuu blinked once before allowing the water blade that had been in her hand to disperse, annoying the red-haired girl seeing as it got water all over her floor.

"Thirty-two minutes." At that Naruto blinked, she had counted?

"Woh, how did you summon a human?" Both Naruto and Fuu turned to look at the girl who seemed to have gotten over her annoyance at her floor being soaked in favour of staring at Naruto in awe. The blonde just chuckled and rubbed the back of his head as Fuu looked around their surroundings to see where she had ended up.

"It's just an ability of mine." The girl just nodded dumbly, still obviously amazed by the unique ability that theoretically shouldn't be possible. Summoning was a very complex contract between a human and a summoning creature that allowed them the use of a space-time Ninjutsu briefly. To manipulate it to apply to another human, even just one, was unheard off. The only thing that would come close to it was a reverse summon, but clearly that was not what she had just seen. Suddenly realising she had been gawking at the pair she straightened up.

"I'm Honoka by the way." Naruto smiled pleasantly; glad the conversation was moving away from his abilities.

"This is Fuu and I'm Naruto Uzumaki, we're-" He didn't get a chance to say any more as suddenly Honoka was across the room, looking at him much too close for his comfort.

"Did you say Uzumaki?" Naruto just nodded warily, unprepared for when Honoka suddenly screamed out in excitement, tackling the blonde to the ground. "I can't believe it! I thought I was the last one!" She sat back, uncaring of the fact she was straddling Naruto rather intimately, a beaming grin in her face. "I'm Honoka Uzumaki!" Naruto's eyes just widened in surprise before his expression became saddened, confusing Honoka.

"I think there's been a misconception." The redhead just blinked in surprise as she got up off of Naruto, staring at him anxiously. "Listen, I'm an orphan, I'm pretty sure the name was only given to me at random. I don't think I'm a genetic Uzumaki otherwise somebody would have told me by now. I don't have the red hair, or purple eyes." By now Honoka was shaking her head in denial, she had finally found some family and he was saying it wasn't actually true.

"No! But you don't know for sure right?" Naruto just shrugged sadly; he couldn't think why the Hokage would ever keep the fact he had a family, even if they were now mostly wiped out, from him. "Well I don't believe you." Her face suddenly brightened, even if it looked a little forced on her part. "The way I see it, you're practically family." She beamed at him making Naruto give her a meek smile back; the whole situation was rather awkward for him.

For the longest time in his young life he had wanted what all the other kids had, family, parents, somebody to go back to at the end of the day who would love him. However now that he might have found it, it was tainted by the nagging doubt that it might not be real, that he might not be a true Uzumaki. A part of him desperately wanted to ignore that, to just take happiness in the moment, but he also couldn't do that to Honoka, it would just be fake. Luckily the girl finally seemed to snap out of her family-crazed stupor, looking at him more intently.

"Either way, Matsumoto-sensei will want to speak to you, we're researching summoning animals here and that ability of yours might help his research." While interested in the fact the people here were looking into summoning and summoning animals Naruto had to quickly raise his hands in protest.

"Look, we only came here because our friend was kidnapped by a giant eagle, we wanted to get her back." Honoka's eyes widened at that and she nodded quickly in understanding.

"Well that's perfect. Matsumoto-sensei's summoning contract is with the eagles so he'll be able to tell you where your friend is!" While Naruto was somewhat relieved to hear that he was rather cautious about meeting these people. After all they were conducting experiments on summoning animals, essentially weapons for Shinobi, on an isolated island just off of a warring nation's coast. To him that sounded like a military operation and he couldn't be sure if these people were working with the rebels or the loyalists or if they were some kind of independent faction.

"Well alright." Honoka just grinned in a way Naruto found oddly familiar, but couldn't quite place while Fuu just looked between the two, wondering if they were in fact family. The redhead happily led them out of her room, making quick progress through the forest towards wherever it was she was taking them. All the while Naruto couldn't help but worry about Shizuku; she had been separated from them for a long time now. Catching his worry Honoka sent him a disarming smile.

"I wouldn't worry about your friend, the Eagles are a very noble summon. They would never harm anybody unless they were asked to by their summoner, and Matsumoto-sensei would never do that!" Naruto returned the smile but he wasn't so sure about the girl's sentiment; either way it only went a small difference in easing his worry. "Alright, we're here!" The redhead gestured to the door set into the mountain-side; it was just a simple wooden door; there was nothing all that ominous about it.

However once she led them through the passageway behind it the space opened out into what Naruto could only assume was the crater of the mountain. Although he would have to correct himself as it was clearly a volcano given the large lake of molten lava bubbling away at the bottom of a wide shaft they were navigating around. Honoka saw their surprised looks and giggled to herself; it was the same when she had first seen the lava.

"Matsumoto-sensei is really smart, he uses the natural heat from the volcano to power the machinery. The molten metal inside the lava also disrupts Chakra-sensing techniques making the facility very hard to locate by normal means." Naruto just nodded, still looking into the bubbling molten rock below them with curiosity. Finally they reached the facility itself, built into the volcano on the other side of the crater, where a young man was seemingly waiting for them.

"Honoka! Where have you been? Matsumoto-sensei has been waiting for you; the initial stage of the experiment is beginning!" The redhead's eyes widened slightly beneath one of her stray bangs, looking up in shock at the young man in a lab coat.

"Already? I thought it wasn't for a few more days." The young man quickly shook his head.

"Come on, he has been searching for you the last few hours. Yagura-sama wanted the experiment accelerated so Matsumoto-sensei had to bring it forward." The girl nodded quickly, worry evident on her features. On the other hand Naruto nearly froze in place, as did Fuu; they now had confirmation these people were working with the loyalists, or at least Yagura. He now had to continue very carefully so he didn't reveal anything about himself to these people.

"Wait, I have to talk to him first, something has come up!" She tried to motion to Naruto but the young man seemingly ran out of patience, taking her arm and leading her into the base, all but ignoring Naruto and Fuu in his haste. Having nothing else to do and knowing this was their only current option to get Shizuku back unharmed Naruto followed them into the facility. He was surprised by the inside; it was like nothing he had ever seen before.

The floor was all bleached white tiles while the walls were carved from the surrounding volcano, giving the whole place a very 'secret base' feel to it. Scientists were scurrying about from various works stations and consoles, some moving around on the catwalks suspended from the sealing that all surrounded the centre of the room. That seemed to be the centre of it all, an enormous rectangular metal tank that Naruto couldn't see into from his angle. Almost as soon as they entered Honoka was approached by an older man with receding grey hair and an impatient look on his face.

"Honoka, it's good you're finally here, the procedure can begin now." He quickly took her hand and was about to lead her away but the girl wrenched her hand out of his grasp, much to the man's obvious surprise.

"Wait, Matsumoto-sensei, there's somebody you have to meet!" The man took a look behind the girl, his eyes glancing over Naruto and Fuu with a great deal of suspicion before dismissing them completely.

"No time Honoka, we have to begin the procedure." Seeing that this man was the holder of the eagle contract Naruto was about to step forward but Honoka beat him to it.

"You don't understand Sensei, Naruto has the ability to summon humans!" Suddenly the older man paused, his eyes flitting back to the blonde where they lingered, now decidedly more interested by the young monk. He seemed to have an internal debate with himself before stepping over to Naruto and looking down at the boy.

"Well, if what Honoka says is true, you and I will have much to talk about later Naruto-san. Unfortunately right now I am very busy. You should stay and watch, what we are about to do will go down in history." He turned back to the red-haired girl and looked like he was about to walk off again before Naruto stepped forward.

"Wait, Matsumoto-san, I understand you hold the eagle contract. A friend on mine was taken by what I think was one of your summons. We came here to retrieve her. I would be happy to answer any question you may have but could you please return her to us?" The man turned slowly, observing Naruto for a moment, obviously displeased he was being held up so much from the procedure. He just sighed; in his opinion the chance to talk to somebody able to break one of the very boundaries of summoning was well worth the small inconvenience.

"Very well." He ran through a small string of hand seals, his Chakra moving in ways Naruto was intimately familiar with. "Kuchiyose!" He slammed his hands down and when the smoke cleared many of the scientists looked up in surprise at the large eagle suddenly crouching in the middle of the room. More important to Naruto though, was the young purple-haired girl hanging onto its leg, shivering slightly.

"Shizuku!" Naruto happily ran forward, grabbing the girl into a tight hug as the eagle disappeared behind them, obviously confused with the strange location of its summon.

"Naruto!" The girl seemed confused and disoriented no doubt from going through yet another summoning, this time not even from Naruto. "One second I was up in the sky, circling some island, the next..." She suddenly tilted forward slightly, her face gaining an unhealthy shade of green as she looked about ready to heave her lunch. By now Matsumoto had grown tired of the reunion, now much more focused with getting on with the experiment.

"Very well, now that is taken care of, Honoka!" This time the girl just nodded complacently, following after the older man to a ring of seals on the ground, where she crouched down and began to channel her Chakra. "You should watch this young Naruto, what we are about to do, is create the ultimate summoning animal! Begin the revival process!" Naruto was surprised by the man's words, wondering just what he meant by that as he watched on in interest.

The scientists that were at their various work stations all started to carefully watch various monitors as the liquid in the tank began to glow with a faint green light. Matsumoto merely smiled as the various machines in the room hummed with power, electricity beginning to spark around the tank. A grey tentacle suddenly sprouted from the liquid, splashing the area around it with the viscous substance before being joined by more.

"Test successful Matsumoto-sensei! The creature is conscious and Chakra flow is positive." The balding man just nodded to the scientist who had called out, motioning to the red head near him.

"Excellent, the test was a success, you can begin to suppress it now Honoka." The Uzumaki girl nodded with a smile before her face twisted into a look of intense concentration. To Naruto's surprise the very same lines of golden symbols that had attacked him before seemingly peeled from the floor. Like chains controlled by some invisible puppeteer that lashed forward, intent on surrounding and suppressing the creature that had emerged from the tank.

It mostly looked like an over-sized maggot with large squinted eyes and an open, toothless mouth that seemed trapped in a perpetual yawn. It had a few tentacles emerging from its body at random that seemed to try and fight off the golden chains that quickly wrapped around the beast, holding it onto the ground. Seemingly everything was proceeding as it should; the beast was subdued and was slowly being forced back into its tank. However suddenly a look of discomfort appeared on Honoka's face at the same moment one of the beast's tentacles broke free from its shackles.

"Something's wrong!" One scientist on the catwalks cried out, panicking slightly as the readings on his monitor fluctuated.

"The creature has more Chakra than we anticipated; we have to abort before it breaks loose!" This time it was a woman who shouted, her screen displaying similar results. Matsumoto seemed momentarily shocked before his features hardened.

"Honoka, can you restrain it?" The red head looked up, sweat beginning to gather at her brow as she focused intently on the sealing.

"I-I'm trying." However Naruto could clearly see what was going on, the beast was slowly absorbing the Chakra from Honoka's sealing chains, weakening them and strengthening itself.

"Stop! It's absorbing the Chakra from the seals! You have to stop now!" Matsumoto turned to the blonde with a sneer, irritated by the interruption to what was supposed to be his masterpiece.

"Quiet boy, you don't understand anything. Honoka is an Uzumaki, they can seal anything." However as if just to prove him wrong another tentacle broke loose, flailing madly above the catwalks much to some of the scientists concern. Honoka too winced in pain, her control over the technique slipping as she felt her Chakra diminish at an alarming rate.

"I-I can't hold it!" To emphasize that point one of the beast's tentacles suddenly wrapped around a scientist who couldn't avoid it in time, instantly pulling him down, and to the shock of everybody there, absorbing him into its body. There was a moment of pause before all hell broke loose; the four remaining scientists all began to run towards the exit to get away from the creature while Honoka's control finally broke, releasing the beast.

Naruto could only watch on in horror as two more scientists were succinctly captured and absorbed into the beast. Before it could grab any more it was suddenly hurled back by an unseen wave of force. When the remaining scientists and Matsumoto looked around they saw Naruto with his arm raised, Rinnegan eyes blazing angrily.

"If you won't stop this, then I will."


	29. Water V

**Digi does not own Naruto, but that little brat is going to be the reason I finally put my back out for good; no good Leaf-nin are going to be the death of me.**

* * *

**Sage**

_"Only the dead have seen the end of the war." – George Santayana_

* * *

Matsumoto stared at Naruto in horror before his gaze drifted back to the creature, still collapsed over on the other end of the room, a crater in the wall marking where it impacted. Naruto was about to walk forward and finish the creature when Matsumoto ran out in front of him, arms spread out wide as if blocking the blonde's way.

"What are you doing Matsumoto?! Didn't you see what that thing did to those scientists! We need to do something before it's too late!" The greying man just shook his head firmly, his knees shaking slightly from seeing his co-workers die as well as the power Naruto had displayed.

"Y-You can't!" Some steel seemed to return to the man's eyes as he straightened up, his stance growing more rigid. Even so, Naruto could tell that while he may have received enough training in Chakra to summon, the man had no experience in Taijutsu. "It's my life's work! Everything I've ever done has been for this! If you destroy it my life will have been a waste! We need to simply contain it, not kill it!" Behind him the maggot-esque creature stirred, almost languidly getting back up using its many tentacles as supports.

"Move aside Matsumoto! Now!" The man stood firm though, even as the creature looked around, its insectoid compound eyes focusing on the balding man. Naruto made to use his shakujou to incapacitate the scientist for now, only to realise it wasn't in his hand. With some shock he realised that it must still be in Honoka's room, he never took it with him. In his moment of hesitation one of the creature's tentacles lashed forward, intent on snaring Matsumoto, no doubt so he could join his co-workers.

"Banshou Ten'in." Just before it could snag the man he was pulled forward by some invisible force, the tentacle closing on nothing but air. Naruto quickly caught the man, pushing him to one side before they could both be crushed as yet another tendril slammed down where they had been moments before. The creature let out a loud and high-pitched shriek at its targets getting away, its large eyes glaring intently at the blonde.

"Shinra Tensei!" Naruto raised both hands this time, wanting to make sure the creature didn't get back up from this hit. However even as the invisible wave of gravitational forces slammed into the beast its eyes briefly began to glow an ominous red. Naruto could only blink in surprise when the creature didn't even budge from its position; he watched as the Chakra was merely absorbed by the beast instead of impacting with it like it should have.

"Well that's not good." He dived out of the way again as another of the creatures tentacles tried to crush him mercilessly. He rolled to the side, near where Matsumoto was now propping himself up against a desk, panting heavily.

"T-That won't work, the creature was designed to absorb Chakra from Ninjutsu." Naruto glared at the man, grimacing to himself; that was a lot like his Preta path and would certainly make things difficult, especially without his shakujou.

"Is there anything else you can tell me about it that will allow me to defeat it?" The greying man just looked up at him hopelessly, obviously having an internal struggle on whether or not to help Naruto. On one hand the chances of them making it out of here alive were growing increasingly slim. On the other hand he couldn't bear to see his life's work be destroyed only minutes after he had finished it.

"You can't destroy it! Please!" By now the man just sounded desperate making Naruto turn away in disgust; he couldn't stand that this man would allow innocent people to die just to save an experiment. Unfortunately any more thoughts were interrupted by Naruto having to jump out of the way of another attack.

"Damn, I need to do something about those tentacles." He sprinted across the room, ducking and weaved between various grey tendrils the creature kept sending after him, obviously identifying him as the main threat. However before Naruto could come up with a plan he saw a green blur race past. A moment later the creature let out a deafening shriek as one of its many tentacles suddenly fell from its body, green liquid spurting from the wound.

"Need help?" Fuu landed next to him a second later, two long swords made of water held in each hand as she glared at the creature. Naruto merely smiled at her as he began to think about what he could do.

"If I can hold it still, do you think you could deal with the tentacles?" Fuu narrowed her eyes at the creature, which was now staring at her intently with murderous blood-red eyes. She nodded once, settling into her stance as she avoided a barrage of crushing attacks from the beast, slicing away at its flesh when she could. Naruto just watched her before nodding and channelling his Chakra quickly, hoping to deal with the creature's many limbs all at once.

"Kuchiyose!" When the smoke cleared the creature looked around, staring at the new arrival with... hunger? Naruto ignored that as he jumped up atop the enormous octopus he had summoned, the Rinnegan eyes it had telling him it was not a real summon. From the corner of the room Matsumoto stared up at the enormous invertebrate with awe, he had never heard of an octopus contract. "Get ready Fuu!" Without so much as a word the octopus moved forward with surprising speed for a creature so far out of its element.

A moment later the beast suddenly found all its tentacles ensnared by the limbs of Naruto's octopus, the suction cups keeping a very tight grip. Knowing that was her signal Fuu dashed forward, nothing more than a blur to most in the room. In seconds it appeared to be over, Fuu skidded to a stop, her water-cutting swords falling uselessly to the ground as the Jutsu ended. When he looked back there was a moment of pause before the creature once more let out a terrible shriek of pain. As one, all its tentacles slid off of its body, the limbs spurting green blood up into the air as they thrashed about.

However before anybody could capitalise on the creature's sudden disadvantage a new tentacle that had been hidden behind its body suddenly whipped out, faster than the others. In only mere moments it had wrapped around the body of the octopus and slowly began to reel the giant cephalopod towards it. Naruto had to jump back as his summon was immediately absorbed into the beast, as if it had never been there in the first place.

"I told you, nothing will work against it." Naruto had landed near to where Matsumoto was cowering behind a desk on the far side of the lab from the creature. "It has the ability to absorb other summons to expand its abilities and grow stronger." Naruto simply stared at the man in a mixture of frustration and disbelief; he wondered what had possessed him to make a creature this difficult to control.

"Naruto!" The blonde swivelled on one foot to see an enormous tentacle, thicker than the ones before, about to slam down on his body. Thinking on the fly he suddenly blasted away into the air, one arm looped around the doctor's waist, as he used a quick Shinra Tensei to get him a way. Milliseconds later the clean white tiles were smashed into shards as the thick limb crashed down on the floor, leaving a long and deep imprint.

When the blonde looked at the beast it had re-grown all of its tentacles, except they were longer and thicker now, each having a single row of suction cups running their length. He set Matsumoto down on one of the higher catwalks, hoping the man would be safe here, although the chances were looking increasingly grim. Ninjutsu and his techniques using Chakra were useless, his summons only made the beast stronger and if he got close enough to use Taijutsu he would most likely get absorbed. He had no intention of finding out which of their abilities to absorb Chakra was stronger.

"Dammit! How do I beat this thing?!" He looked to Matsumoto again but the man was no use, he was just staring down at the maggot-like beast with wide eyes, shivering occasionally. Before he could think of anything though his eyes widened in surprise; below them Honoka had run forward, already flashing through a long chain of hand seals. When she got close enough she crouched down, slamming her hands onto the floor as an enormous sealing matrix spread out.

"Honoka! What are you doing!?" The girl just ignored Naruto as the long lengths of ink-black sealing symbols began to peel off of the floor, shooting out like chains. The beast struggled beneath the bright lines of light but slowly began to be pushed to the floor. However its eyes once again flashed that ominous red; the change was obvious as Honoka grunted from the exertion, sweat beginning to gather on her brow.

"Please! Do something quickly! I can't hold it for very long!" The redhead's cry broke him from his surprised stupor as he vaulted the catwalk, dashing across the ground as a long black Chakra rod slid from his sleeve. He wasn't sure if this would work but he didn't want to give up an opportunity like this. Apparently Fuu had shared his thoughts as she too sprinted towards the beast, water-cutting blades once again extended from her hands. They moved past one another before moving towards their targets, Fuu jumping up into the air.

Naruto ran to the nearest tentacle, slamming his Chakra rod down into the tip, driving both it and the limb into the floor. As soon as he did he rolled over the tendril, another Chakra rod already slipping from his other sleeve. As soon as he reached the next one how repeated the process, driving the sturdy rods straight into the beast's flesh and ignoring its pained cries. As a monk he hated seeing any creature, even one created for the sole purpose of killing, hurt in any way; however he would never allow this thing to escape un-controlled.

"Takigakure-ryuu: Kakuchou!" As Fuu descended from her jump the two swords in her hands suddenly grew outwards, extending past their previous limits. With a cry the mint-haired girl brought them down, slamming both into the creatures head all the way up to her hands. She stood there on the beast's bulbous head for a moment, panting slightly as she maintained the Chakra-intensive technique for a moment longer, making sure it killed the creature. However her orange eyes suddenly widened as she felt her Chakra ebbing away, flowing out through her swords and into the beast; at the same moment she also felt her feet start to sink.

"Naruto!" The blonde looked up before he could impale the last of the tentacles, seeing Fuu slowly being absorbed into the creature. He was about to throw his hand up to draw her back but the beast used that moment to slam him with its last remaining free limb, sending him flying across the room. He twisted his body before it could impact painfully with a wall, landing feet first so he could flip back down onto the ground safely.

"Fuu no!" Naruto would have attempted to save the girl but his Banshou Ten'in wasn't that accurate from this distance. Before he could sprint over there to help her though, the same golden tendrils of light suddenly broke away from the creature, freeing it, but at the same time wrapping around just Fuu. In a few seconds she was free of the beast as Honoka drew her back, leaving the green-haired girl panting on the floor beside the redhead, her eyes widened in fear.

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief before he too opened his eyes in shock, a shadow begun to descend on the two girls as the beast brought a tentacle down in a sweeping motion to crush them both. However before it could they suddenly flew backwards, as if yanked back by invisible strings tied around their waists, both crashing into Naruto's opened arms. They lay there on the floor for a moment, Fuu and Honoka taking small breathers while Naruto was trapped due to their bodies lying on his arms.

"Uhh, Fuu? Honoka?" The two girls looked up at his face for a moment before blushing and looking away, quickly scrabbling back to their feet. Naruto got up slightly more slowly, keeping an eye on the beast as it writhed on the floor, obviously in great pain from being impaled through its tentacles and stabbed twice in the head. He was surprised the thing wasn't dead, but then again it had already proved how resilient it was; no doubt it had absorbed a lot of the Chakra from Fuu's water blades before they could do the damage intended.

"How do we get rid of this thing?" Even as the blonde watched the beast began using its one free tentacle to slowly draw out each Chakra rod from its limbs, shrieking in pain with each one it removed from its flesh. Suddenly they all saw Matsumoto appear from the catwalks, walking slowly towards the beast, Honoka's eyes widening in horror.

"Matsumoto-sensei! What are you doing!?" The older man ignored her though, slowly walking towards the beast with his arms opened wide. The creature kept one eye on the man, it's free tentacles swaying slowly as it continued to remove the rods from the rest.

"Yes! That's right! You recognise me don't you? It's me, your creator, your father!" The beast continued to gaze at the man, unmoving for the moment as Naruto, Fuu, Honoka, and Shizuku could only watch on, wondering what would happen. "Listen to me! You should stand down and return to your tank, that's an order!" The beast's head cocked to the side slowly before its gaze drifted across to the metal tank in the centre of the room. "That's right, listen to my orders as your creator!" Slowly the beast limbs rose into the air, as if in compliance, eliciting a large grin from the aging scientist.

"Yes, that's ri-gah!" Everybody's eyes widened as Matsumoto suddenly doubled over, spitting up blood from his mouth as he looked down with a shaky head. Protruding from his stomach was a long grey tentacle with a sharpened tip, stained red from the man's blood. He grasped it between his shivering hands before looking up at the creature, his eyes widened in shock that never left his face as he slumped over. Before anybody else could react his limp body was raised into the air before swiftly being absorbed into the creature.

"No! Matsumoto-sensei!" Honoka was the first to break out of the shocked silence that had enveloped the room, running forward only to be grabbed from behind by Naruto and pulled back. Just in time too as not a second later one of the tentacles slammed down in front of them, crushing the tiles in the spot Honoka was just in. "No! Let me go! Matsumoto-sensei!" She struggled against the blonde's firm grip, unable to break away as Naruto suddenly jumped back again, avoiding another attack aimed at the two of them.

"Honoka stop it!" He landed back down on one of the upper catwalks, closer to the entrance of the facility, holding Honoka back as she struggled against his grip.

"Let me go Naruto! I have to stop it!" Naruto just kept holding her down, passively using his Preta path to weaken her slightly until she stopped struggling. Below them the creature thrashed about, obviously displeased it had lost its target. In the meantime Fuu had recovered, dashing back in with her water blades in order to severe the beast's tentacles again.

"Honoka stop, there's nothing you can do, it will just absorb your seals!" Finally the red-haired girl dropped resisting, falling slack in Naruto's arms as she quietly sobbed.

"B-But I have to keep fighting. What about Matsumoto-sensei?" She sobbed again, louder this time as she latched onto one of Naruto's arms, pressing it against her chest as tears trickled down her cheeks. Naruto just patted her on the back, knowing what the loss of a loved-one felt like as he did his best to comfort her and keep an eye on the creature.

"You don't have to fight anymore Honoka, leave it to us." Suddenly the girl bit back her tears, standing up before Naruto could grab her.

"No! I can't just sit here while that thing runs loose. I need to fight because it's what I believe is right!" Before Naruto could stop her she dived over the edge of the catwalk, rolling to her feet when she hit the floor. She immediately crouched down, speeding through hand seals as fast as she dared, different ones this time. When she slammed her hands down that time another sealing matrix spread out, however when the symbols peeled from the floor they were a deep red, almost as if they were set aflame.

As Fuu darted and weaved between the various tentacles, slicing and cutting any exposed flesh she could while keeping out of the beast's reach, Honoka's seals rushed forward. However instead of suppressing the beast like before, the new seals seemingly seared straight into the creatures flesh, leaving deep black marks on its skin. Like before the beast shrieked in pain, glaring at the two girls as its eyes glowed red in anger as it thrashed about. However like before it eventually became too much, the creature just had too many limbs and in the end it simply forced them back or threatened to crush them.

Fuu panted from her position, the water-blade in her hand finally bursting back into its harmless element. She suddenly straightened up, her fists clenched in anger as an oppressive aura suddenly spread out across the room. Everybody looked to the girl as virulent red Chakra gradually spread across her body like a cloak, two crisp, insectoid wings rising from her lower back out of the corrosive shroud. Faster than most could see she darted forward, fist cocked back as she approached the beast.

She ducked underneath one of its tentacles, intent on swatting her away like a fly; although flew past it would be more accurate. Her vibrant Chakra wings beat incredibly quickly, creating a slightly hum as she skimmed across the floor. Finally she reached the beast, slamming her fist right into one of its eyes with a sickening squelch. Time seemed to slow a little as he fist sunk into the creature's vulnerable eye, the beast crying out in agonising pain, raising a tentacle to strike her. However Fuu moved out of the way, allowing the beast to slam itself over the head with its own limb.

However in its anger it lashed out with all of its tentacles at once; now furiously mad at the floating Fuu. The girl was fast, but not enough to avoid all of the tendrils at once; one long tentacle wrapped around her body at the waist, squeezing her tightly. She tried to smash her fist into it, hoping to get the beast to let her go but it had the opposite effect, crushing her even tighter as it coiled. She grunted in pain as she felt her bones begin to creak, her features twisting into a grimace.

Suddenly she gasped as the corrosive Chakra around her body slowly began to ebb away, sinking into the beast's tentacle as its remaining eye glowed. As the vile but protective shroud began to dissipate the beast squeezed even harder, slowly drawing the girl towards its body. However before it could begin to absorb her everybody suddenly saw a streak of black fly across the room. With another sickening cry the creature dropped Fuu roughly to the ground, its tentacle waving madly in the air allowing everybody to see the long black rod impaled all the way through.

"Banshou Ten'in." A moment later and Fuu was safely in Naruto's arms, being gently laid on the floor to one side. They had a brief moment of respite as the beast thrashed about, mourning the loss of its eye and trying to lessen the pain in its limbs that were healing at an astonishing rate, no doubt thank to the enormous amount of Chakra it absorbed from Fuu. Naruto just frowned, struggling to come up with a way of defeating a creature that could shrug off most attacks.

"Dammit, Chakra-based attacks don't work, we can't get close to it, Bijuu Chakra is useless and anything I summon just..." Suddenly an idea struck Naruto, his eyes widening in surprise at not thinking of it sooner. He suddenly turned around, dashing away from the creature and towards the exit of the facility. However before he could get far Fuu grabbed his hand, halting him for a moment as she looked up to him.

"What are you doing?" Naruto just gave her a small smile, surprising the girl given the serious situation they were in.

"It's a summoning animal right?" Fuu just nodded in confusion as Naruto grinned and sped off again, sprinting as fast as he could towards the exit of the facility. He raced past Shizuku and Honoka, the two girls giving him matching looks of confusion that he ignored. Finally he reached the outside, skidding to a stop at the edge of the ledge that dropped down into the boiling lake of lava beneath them. The blonde stopped, turning back to look into the lab where he could see the murderous red eyes of the beast staring straight back at him; he merely answered with a grim smile.

"Kuchiyose!" He slammed his hand down into the ground, right at the edge of the cliff so that the sealing matrix actually spread out into thin air. He leapt back as the area erupted in a cloud of smoke, only to clear and reveal the beast itself. Its red compound eyes widened slightly as it suddenly found itself outside, balanced precariously over the ledge. It tried to slam one of its tentacles down on the ground as an anchor but Naruto saw what it was doing.

"Oh no you don't!" The blonde leapt forward, stabbing a Chakra rod straight into the tentacle before it could get a proper grip. The creature shrieked in pan as it let go, its remaining eye widening as it suddenly fell backwards, unable to balance any longer. Naruto didn't walk forward to look down, he didn't want to see what was happening. The horrifying cries of pain and anguish were bad enough to listen to as the beast slowly melted to death in the molten rock. He nearly jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder; he looked around to see Honoka staring towards the ledge.

"Are you okay?" Honoka just nodded sadly, dried tears staining her face as she sniffed back more. Naruto just gave her a weak smile before patting her on the shoulder and walking past to see if Fuu and Shizuku were okay.

* * *

The four young preteens were back in Honoka's room, Naruto thankfully re-united with his shakujou. He had been surprised to find that Honoka had actually carried it with her when she found him in the forest; which led him to believe she had a surprising amount of Chakra. He briefly wondered if that was an inherent Uzumaki trait, a question Honoka couldn't answer due to her not knowing her parents.

Apparently Matsumoto had found her in an outlying village in Mizu in Kuni in an orphanage, taking an interest in her due to her name. He took care of her over time, raising her and training her in any Uzumaki techniques he could find. Naruto discovered that the Uzumaki clan were not only famous for their seals but also incredibly apt in them. Most teenage Uzumaki were able to surpass what passed for a sealing 'master' anywhere else in the elemental nations.

It made Naruto wish he had looked at seals more in depth, but at the time he was more interested in finding a way to help Sora and sealing would have taken too long to learn, and that was gambling on whether or not he was a real Uzumaki. Despite all of Honoka's insistence that she could somehow 'feel' that he was family, Naruto could never quite remove that nagging doubt at the back of his mind, something he may never be able to get over.

Now the four were discussing what would happen now the facility was shut down. They had been unable to find the two remaining scientists who had run off when the creature first started absorbing their co-workers. Honoka didn't really know any of them too well, only having proper contact with Matsumoto, but she worried for them anyway. The forest was now a dangerous place with all the summons running about without any contract holders to direct them. This point brought Naruto onto something that had been bothering the blonde for a while now.

"Honoka, you've been researching summons for a while now right?" The redhead nodded from her position sitting cross-legged on her bed. Shizuku was in a chair on the other end of the room while Naruto was leaning against the girl's desk, Shakujou safely in hand. Fuu was more content to simply lean up against the wall, quite close to the door in case they had to leave quickly; it was a remnant of her conditioning in Taki she hadn't been able to break.

"Do you have any idea why I was unable to summon Shizuku when she was being taken away by the giant eagle?" The red-haired Uzumaki blinked before looking up thoughtfully, the question interesting her due to her inherited interest with all things to do with summoning she had gained from Matsumoto.

"I'm not sure; I would have to know more about your ability." Naruto just nodded, giving the girl a rundown of what he could do and had done with his Animal path up until then. As he continued to explain the awed and fascinated look on Honoka's face only grew; at one point she rushed over to her desk and grabbed a notebook, quickly scribbling down what Naruto was saying. When he was done the girl simply stared at her notes in thought for a while, going over everything in her head.

"Well, I can only give you a hypothesis until I could get more data, but the only reason I could see would be because of Matsumoto-sensei." The girl's voice was quiet at the end as her head tilted down mournfully; Naruto thought she somehow blamed herself for her mentor and father-figure's death. However when she looked up and saw all of their confused faces she cleared her throat and wiped away the tears percolating at the edge of her vision.

"I think because Matsumoto-sensei still held a viable contract with the Eagles you were unable to summon them, and by extension anything connected to them at the time. It must mean that you are unable to summon animals with a pre-existing contract with humans." Naruto frowned at that, the logic was sound after all and it was a good explanation but there was a problem.

"But I can summon the chameleons, they're an actual summon and they've had a contract with humans before. They told me so." It was Honoka's turn to frown at the new information as she returned to her notes, skimming over them briefly.

"Are their summoners still alive?" Naruto blinked at the question before shaking his head slowly making Honoka smirk; if there was anything she enjoyed it was confirming a hypothesis like any good scientist. "When a summoner dies, something happens with the contract. Their name remains where they signed it but it fades slightly, freeing the animals from that summoner, unless they were already called upon before their death. So if the animal has no living summoner then you are able to call upon them with your ability, if they do, you cannot." Naruto just looked at the redhead, impressed by how quickly she had gone through all that.

"Matsumoto-sensei may have been able to tell you more, he was the expert after all." She looked down again, obviously saddened and barely holding back her tears. "He would have loved the chance to talk to you, you could have revealed so much about summoning." At that she finally broke down, sobbing quietly to herself on the bed with her hands bunched up into fists. She didn't even look up when Naruto walked over, placing a comforting arm around her shoulders. She simply turned into his chest and cried deeply while Naruto let her, allowing her to cry out all the grief she had bottled up.

* * *

A day later and the group were standing on a beach on the west side of the island, the sea breeze making their hair and clothes flutter about. The trio were saying their goodbyes to Honoka who was tearing up slightly; Shizuku too was saddened, in the time they had spent together the two girls had become fast friends with a lot to talk about. But in the end they had to go their separate ways, much to their mutual displeasure.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us? There's always room for one more in the group." Honoka just gave the blonde a sad smile as she moved forward and captured him in a hug.

"Sorry, but this is something I have to do. Matsumoto-sensei always promised that one day he would take me to the ruins of Uzushio, I have to make sure that I see that promise is kept. Are you sure you don't want to come with me? You're family after all." Naruto stepped away from the hug, looking at the shorter girl with melancholy in his eyes.

"Honoka we've already talked about this. You know I-" He was cut off as the girl placed a finger against his lips, a light smile running across her features.

"No matter what you say Naruto, you're family to me. Blood does not make a family, bonds do." She giggled into her hand as she stepped back, waving to the two other girls who waved back, one with more enthusiasm than the other. Naruto thought it might actually be for the best she didn't join their group; for some reason Fuu didn't get along all that well with the red-haired Uzumaki. "So I guess I'll see you around Itoko." She gave him a beaming grin that Naruto couldn't help but return with a small smile of his own.

"Yeah, in any case I want to thank you." Honoka just blinked at that, looking up at the blonde in confusion.

"Thank me?" Naruto just nodded as his smile grew slightly; he looked away for a moment as if remembering a fond memory.

"You reminded me of something my own Sensei once taught me, something I had been ignoring until now." He looked back to the redhead, pulling her into another brief hug, this time annoying both Shizuku and Fuu; although the former was still uncertain as to why. "He told me that being a pacifist is not about avoiding all conflict, but about knowing how to choose your fights." He pulled away, leaving the Uzumaki with a slight red hue to her cheeks. "You reminded me of that, so thank you." He suddenly moved back, moulding his Chakra as he walked before slamming his hand down.

"Kuchiyose!" When the smoke cleared Honoka recognised the animal as the same strange bird she had knocked Naruto and Fuu off when they had arrived at the island.

"Wow, I don't think I'll ever get tired of seeing you do that." Naruto just grinned as he hopped up onto the bird, Fuu and Shizuku quickly following him, despite the violette's slight hesitation. As they took off, the bird's strong wings beating downwards to lift them into their air, Honoka waved the group off; however she couldn't help but call to them one more time. "What are you going to do now?!" She saw Naruto's grin as he waved to her even from that distance.

"What else, I'm going to choose a fight!" The redhead just smiled as the group slowly flew off into the distance. When they were finally out of sight she turned, scratching her head once.

"Where did they leave the boats again?"

* * *

**A/N: By the way, 'Itoko' means Cousin in Japanese. Fun fact: The Summoning Beast's blood is green because I believe it is some form of insect (It looks like a maggot at first and goes through a chrysalis phase) - Insect blood is green because it lacks haemoglobin, which is what makes our blood red, the greeny-yellow colour comes from the nutrients carried directly in their vascular sustem**


	30. Water VI

**Digi does not own Naruto because he is foolish and does not capitalise on the money he could make; money is what keeps the world turning after all**

* * *

**Sage**

_"Wars have never hurt anybody except the people who die." – Salvador Dali_

* * *

In a lifeless area of Mizu no Kuni, surrounded by destroyed trees and burnt-out foliage, the mists were particularly thick. The sun was setting over the horizon, casting an eerie orange glow through the dense fog. The air was bitingly cold, evidenced by the layer of frost coating everything; it was always like this in March for the residents of Mizu no Kuni and most had gotten used to it. Of course that didn't make the complaints of one Kirigakure Shinobi any quieter as he and his companion made their normal routes through the deforested area surrounding their base.

"I mean seriously? Do you think it would cost them that much to spring for some warmer flak jackets?" The man was fairly young, barely out of his teens with messy light blue hair falling about the sides of his face, only kept out of his eyes by his headband. He wore the standard Kiri uniform complete with the dark navy flak jacket with protruding shoulder guards.

"Shut it." His companion, a much older and more grizzled man with a scar running across his face diagonally, was in a much less talkative mood.

"But then again, I guess some warm scarves or something might do as well, just something to keep the frost out you know?" The younger man walked out in front, his hands up behind his head as he glanced about, only using the minimum awareness for his surroundings. They had made this route countless times before and had never seen hide nor hair of any rebels; they were far too deep in their own territory.

"Shut it." The younger man simply ignored his companion; the man never said much other than to try and get him to be quiet, and not in particularly nice ways. Today was a good day, he hadn't been threatened him yet so he planned on enjoying it while it lasted.

"You'd think if Mizukage-sama wanted us at our best to beat those bloodline freaks he would at least want us to stay warm, right?" The man walked on a few more paces before blinking in surprise; it was rare for his fellow Shinobi to simply ignore his inane ramblings. He put his arms down at his side as he turned, frowning slightly at the change from the norm. However he was instantly on alert when he saw the man was nowhere in sight, the mists seeming slightly stronger than normal.

"Hey Kourou?" Slowly he began to reach for his kunai pouch, eyes darting about to spot anything in the all too oppressive mists. He was too late though, one moment he was standing and holding his kunai, the next he was buried up to his neck in the ground. He managed to notice that it was oddly soft, like sand; before he felt something tap his forehead and his world went dark.

"Well that was surprisingly easy." Naruto wiped a stray bang out of his face as he replaced his shakujou safely on his back. In the few months since the incident on the summoning island he had allowed it to grow out quite a bit; he hadn't exactly had time to get it cut. His spiky ponytail was beginning to reach his shoulder blades and the bangs around his face had begun falling over his headband in a rather irritating way. Shizuku had told him it made him appear more handsome but Naruto merely though it was distracting.

"Did you expect anything else?" A green blur dropped down beside him, revealing itself to be Fuu; like him her hair had also grown out, now touching her shoulders. Both had rather surprising growth spurts recently, now standing at five foot two and five foot one respectively. The most noticeable change though was Fuu no longer wore her bright white outfit, instead opting for darker navy and grey tones to better camouflage with the mists.

"I suppose not, how do you think Shizuku and Chojuro are doing with theirs?" Fuu just raised an eyebrow at the monk to which he just waved her off with a slightly irritated expression. "Don't be like that, I'm allowed to worry about her okay?" To be honest he had no real reason to be worried about Shizuku; Chojuro was strong by his own rights but that wasn't to say the violette couldn't take care of herself.

The last few months had certainly been interesting for the trio; after leaving Honoka they had sought out the rebels. It hadn't been hard, thanks to Naruto's near perfect memory he had been able to spot more than a few of their camp positions with that single glance into their command tent. It had taken a few tries due to them moving about but eventually they had tracked a group down. They of course were suspicious at first, as they had a right to be, but that was soon sorted out.

* * *

"_Look, we don't mean you any harm, we merely wish to offer our help." The tall rebel Shinobi simply looked down at the shorter blonde, a guarded eye drifting to his two female companions stood behind him._

"_Uh huh, and I should believe you're not spies... why? How was it you were able to find our camp? That's not exactly something that makes me drop my guard." Naruto looked around, noticing they were drawing the attention of a few more Shinobi around them._

"_I told you, Nezumiiro told me how to find you guys if I ever decided to help." It was a lie but he thought the alternative sounded far more suspicious and was likely to end up with them in custody._

"_How do you know the name of Mei-sama's cousin?!" Naruto just sighed, resisting the urge to rest his head in his palm. He knew these people had a right to be wary in order to preserve their secrecy but this was becoming ridiculous, bordering on paranoid._

"_Look, I said-" Suddenly a shout cut through any other conversation going on as everybody turned to look at the speeding orange blur that many of the rebels recognised._

"_Naruto-kun!" The blonde only had time to widen his eyes before being tackled to the ground in an undignified heap. If he didn't know for sure she was standing right behind him he would have sworn it was Shizuku. However when he looked up he was staring straight into a pair of sparkling emerald eyes, framed by burnt orange hair._

"_Nezumiiro?"_

* * *

Naruto smiled fondly at the memory, during their time helping the rebellion Nezumiiro had become a good friend. Among the bleak realities of war and the even drearier climate of Mizu no Kuni in winter she was like a perpetual ray of light. There was literally nothing that ever kept her down for long, not even her injury that had her only doing light exercise until recently. Even now she wasn't allowed to go out on any missions until she was back to her old self again but that didn't stop her from getting the occasional spar out of Naruto or Fuu, and sometimes even Shizuku.

That was another big surprise; Shizuku had finally mastered the second stage of the water-Chakra exercises. After that she had begun to soak up water Ninjutsu like a sponge, all the rebels who taught her were just astounded by the rate she picked them up. Not only that but she could use them even when there wasn't any nearby source of water, drawing the moisture straight from the air. The mists helped but even so some of the best water specialists in the rebellion couldn't do that; apparently it was comparable to Kisame Hoshigake or the Nidaime Hokage.

Either way she had become quite the combatant but had never lost her innocent personality. Even now after months of helping the rebels she was loathe to hurt people, taking on Naruto's mantra of suppression as opposed to killing. Most of the time she would use a special technique she had developed in order to painlessly suffocate her target, knocking them out. She had nearly broken down crying the first time she used it outside of a spar but luckily Naruto was there to calm her down. He still remembered the shock he got when they had first discovered her latent abilities.

* * *

_Shizuku stood firm at the centre of a training ground, her hands up in the Taijutsu stance Naruto had been teaching her. With the discovery of her amazing water affinity Naruto had decided to try and teach her one of his styles in the hopes that she could use it. Technically his Mizu no Mai should be useless to anybody other than him due to it requiring his Preta path ability. However Naruto didn't want Shizuku to get hurt and it was his second most evasive style behind the Kaze no Mai, but she lacked the training in wind-natured Chakra for that._

"_So you know what to do right?" The violette nodded to the young monk, taking a deep breath as her eyes focused. Naruto gave her a moment to prepare before rushing in, starting off with a standard jab to her stomach. He was only going at half his regular speed so that the girl had a chance to warm up to the stances in an actual combat situation as opposed to simply running through the kata. To his satisfaction Shizuku skilfully swerved to one side, rolling with the motion until they were back to back._

_Before he could lash out with his other hand she dropped down, pushing off with her hands to skid between his parted legs. At the same time she had already begun to turn, hoping to remove Naruto's base by sliding his legs out from under him. The blonde jumped up in time to avoid it but was forced back again as Shizuku completed the motion by thrusting up, keeping her hands on the ground to come up spinning with her legs in a perfect splits. Naruto smiled as he lent back underneath the kicks; he had added a few more offensive moves to her kata to make up for the lack of his ability._

"_That's good Shizuku." The violette preened under the praise as she landed back on her feet, throwing her head back to let her hair fall into place behind her. Like Fuu she had undergone a change of wardrobe, but not as drastic. She had altered the colours of her kimono top and hakama to light blue and purple respectively to better blend in with the surroundings. At the same time it had the effect of making her opponents underestimate her while in fact the clothes gave her a surprising range of movement._

"_Try it again, this time with what we've been practising." The girl nodded firmly as they rushed back together, meeting in what onlookers might have mistaken for some kind of high-speed dance. Their bodies twisted around one another in increasingly complex manoeuvres in order to try and pin or bring down the other. Of course Naruto wasn't going full out but that wasn't the purpose of the training. Naruto had thought Shizuku might be able to compensate for her lack of his Preta path by circulating water Chakra throughout her body._

_It had been an idea he himself had toyed with but in practise it proved to be too difficult to simultaneously focus on that, the moves themselves and his Chakra absorption technique. He figured Shizuku shouldn't have the same handicap with only two things to focus on. The idea was to use the water Chakra flowing through the body in order to increase one's flexibility, sometimes to almost ridiculous degrees. It also acted as a shock absorber, carrying the impacts through the body and dispersing the energy more economically._

_Naruto smirked as he saw an opening in Shizuku's form, she had overextended on the last move instead of flowing through to the next kata and he decided to point out the mistake. He turned on one foot, using Chakra to increase the friction and turn faster, and intended to give her a light tap on the shoulder. However his eyes widened when instead, his hand simply passed straight through the girl, her body parting like a liquid around his hand. When they parted again the two looked at each other in shock; the Kiri ninja who had been watching them out of boredom didn't fare much better._

* * *

It had taken quite a bit of explaining but eventually they had discovered that it was a Jutsu developed by the Houzuki clan called the Hydrification technique. It involved them literally turning their body parts into water, maintained and held in shape by their Chakra. The only thing that confused the rebels was the fact that it was only usable by a Houzuki not only due to their high water affinities but their unique genetic make-up, making it something on the border between clan specialty and Kekkei Genkai. Not only that but the only remaining Houzuki clan member had disappeared not too long after his brother had died a few months beforehand.

This finally confirmed it for Naruto and Fuu; later on they had taken Shizuku aside and explained to her what they had found in that base back in Ta no Kuni. At first she was simply disbelieving; after all few could take the fact they are a genetic clone of an extinct Kirigakure clan member with genes from the Nidaime Hokage spliced in. At least it explained where her absurdly powerful water affinity came from.

It had taken a few days but Naruto had managed to get through to Shizuku again, comforting her as she came to terms with that. The worst blow was probably the fact she had no real parents, she was more of a creation, an experiment than a human being. It had taken a while for Naruto to get that concept out of her head, to convince her that she was just as human as he was. That had been the first night the two spent together, just lying next to one another and enjoying the company. Since then they had slept in the same bed every night aside from the ones where they were on separate missions, but those were rare.

At first their responsibilities were mostly guarding various cargo movements as they went between the various camps for re-supplies. Naruto was okay with that, most of the time they went by undisturbed and the only problems they had come across was the occasional ambush from loyalists. Luckily due to Naruto's ability to scout ahead with his sand those were quickly turned on their heads, not expecting the rebels to know about the ambush ahead of time.

He had earned quite the reputation amongst the rebels for his refusal to kill anybody yet still always managing to deal with all his opponents. There was also his unique skills that never failed to catch the enemy off guard; most useful was his ability to increase the gravity in a specific area which he was slowly controlling better and better with each passing day. It sometimes allowed him to completely negate fights entirely, something greatly appreciate by the rebels as it saved them valuable supplies and lives.

Of course nobody knew where his skills came from; he had yet to tell a soul about his Rinnegan. It wasn't that he didn't trust the rebels; far from it, he had made more than a few friends amongst the younger Shinobi. It was simply the fact he couldn't risk word getting out about a Rinnegan user wandering the elemental nations, it would bring a lot of attention on him and his friends. So far the only people outside of his group that knew were Nezumiiro and her aunt Mei, due to her letting it slip by accident; one of the reasons Naruto was so cautious to tell anybody else.

Thankfully the buxom leader of the rebellion was very understanding of Naruto's situation, at least after she had gotten over her excitement at seeing a legendary Doujutsu. Naruto smiled again at the memory of the normally mature and powerful leader acting like a giddy schoolgirl. She understood all too well the feeling of not wanting a bloodline to come to light in fear of how it may affect one's loved ones. In that way all the bloodline clans fighting the Mizukage could relate; it was the very reason they were fighting the injustice in the first place.

He also couldn't be certain but Naruto suspected Ao knew as well; he didn't think Mei had told anybody else but he had seen the older man give him curious and penetrating looks on occasion. He was never too far from Mei's side and sometimes even when Naruto wasn't in the same room he felt Ao's gaze on him. It was highly disconcerting but other than that Naruto found the man to be very competent, if not slightly stuck in the past. Although it did make for some amusing situations when Mei seemingly misheard him.

Since then Naruto and his friends had gone on increasingly important missions for the rebels. It was anything from sabotage of buildings to ambushing supply caravans similar to the very ones he had been protecting not long before. Really it was anything in order to cripple or slow down Yagura's forces, mostly guerrilla tactics that would hit hard and fast before leaving without a trace. It was something Naruto had quite the knack for due to his exceptional stealth skills. Many of the rebels were still completely amazed at how easily he could move undetected; it helped he hadn't told anybody about his Boidogakure technique.

That led up to here, where he and another group of rebels were slowly surrounding a large facility fairly deep into the loyalist territory, but more importantly, dangerously close to Kirigakure itself. It was one of the largest missions he had been on, involving a hefty chunk of the rebel forces. If this mission went wrong then they would suffer some serious losses, something Naruto would try to avoid at all costs. He had spent too long fighting alongside the rebels to see them fail when they were just beginning to see a change in the tide of the war.

"Are we ready to go?" The blonde looked up at Fuu with a smile; despite his best attempts Fuu hadn't really cracked from her usual expressionless persona. He had thought being around people would make her loosen up and learn to trust people other than him and Shizuku. It seemed to have the opposite effect; the mint-haired girl hung close to him even more than before. He couldn't tell if he was intimidated by the others or was simply reminded of her time in Taki.

"I think so." The young monk placed his hand on ground, palm flat against the damp ground. He took a deep breath as he spread his Chakra through the soil, converting it slowly into sand that he could use. After around a minute he finally opened his eyes, a small smile briefly playing over his lips. He looked up, noticing that Fuu had been conversing with a few insects as well. "I count twenty guards outside, fifty-six prisoners. I can't tell what's happening inside the buildings though." Fuu was quiet for a moment before nodded slowly, agreeing with the estimate.

Not only had Naruto's Deva path skills improved over the last few months, but his ability to control sand. Specifically, his ability to sense people's Chakra through the sand as long as they were in contact with it. Right now he had a very thin layer spread out across the entire facility; every time anybody took a step on the ground he knew where they were exactly. It was exceedingly useful for reconnaissance ad information gathering; vital aspects of warfare.

"Ao-san was correct then." Naruto just nodded; Ao had an uncanny ability to scout places out. Nobody even knew how he did it even though Naruto suspected it had something to do with the eye underneath his patch. When he had asked about it though the irritable man had simply told him to mind his own business. When he had asked others they could only tell him he lost it during his time as the head of the Kiri Hunter-nin branch of their ANBU.

"Are you ready?" Fuu paused for a moment before nodding once, the two suddenly disappearing in a blur of motion.

* * *

The loyalist facility was oddly quiet for such a large compound; usually there would be the sound of the guards idly chatting or the groans and various pleas of the prisoners, quickly ended by the guards kicking the cages. However tonight it was almost silent, an odd aura hung in the air that had many of the guards on edge. It was one of those sixth senses you gained from spending too long fighting; something was going to happen tonight, but nobody knew what.

It was officially a prison, in reality though it was simply a large collection of cages where any captured bloodline holders were kept until they could be safely transported to more secure locations. Numerous Chakra suppressing seals lined the long series of cages, making sure anybody held inside wouldn't even have the strength to stand. The prisoners were grouped together in fours or fives, left in whatever clothes they had been captured in, regardless of condition. The loyalists were indiscriminate about who they captured; women, children, non-combatants, that didn't matter if they had a Kekkei Genkai or spoke out against the Mizukage.

The only noise that broke through the silence was the soft crunch of the guards' sandals against the frosty ground as they made their patrols. Of course none of them noticed as the ground beneath their feet grew ever so slightly softer. It all happened in an instant; the guards never stood a chance as the ground itself suddenly rose up to swallow them all. From the wall of the facility Naruto crouched down, his body cloaked to both eyes and sensors alike as he held out his hand. It took a lot of concentration for him to manipulate the sand so finely to capture multiple targets like this.

Finally though it was over, all of the guards lay on the ground, cocooned in a layer of tough, Chakra-enhanced sand that covered their mouths before they even got a chance to cry out. Moments later multiple blurs appeared within the compound's walls, dashing across to the cages as fast as they could. Those prisoners that were still awake and not on the verge of unconsciousness due to hunger or dehydration were able to spot around ten Kiri Shinobi. Fuu, Shizuku, and Chojuro were among them while Naruto stayed in his position, keeping the guards restrained while watching out for re-enforcements.

They had to be fast, one downside of his ability was that he was unable to deconstruct concrete or other more sturdy building materials into sand. That meant he was unable to see what was going on inside the buildings, no doubt used as barracks for the guards posted at the facility. That was why all the Shinobi selected were able to use water Ninjutsu to a high degree so they could all silently slice off the locks on the cages with a bastardized version of Taki's water-cutting sword that only surrounded the user's hand.

Once the prisoners were free they went about quickly handing out food and water, enough so that they would have the energy to make it back behind their own lines. The rebels had made a great effort to push forward in the past few months and the contested zones had now reached the area around Kirigakure no Sato itself, towards the more southern region of the country. It was no secret that the loyalists were beginning to feel the strain.

Yagura had no allies, no backing from the Daimyo or any higher power, he only had the powers at his disposal, namely the village itself. While they could produce their own weapons and had a steady supply of food for their forces they lacked long term financial-stability. With the civil war taking up most of his attention Kiri's income had taken a serious blow, what with the fact they had lost many jobs and clients due to their abhorrent regime.

The rebels on the other hand had a few allies in the smaller countries, backing them in hopes that when they won against the loyalists it would put them in good favour when Kiri returned to full power. In the last few months with the great progress they had made pushing south they had more time to allocate their forces on missions for money and funding. It also greatly helped that they controlled most of the northern and western ports that connected Mizu no Kuni with the rest of the continent.

Naruto watched as the stronger of the prisoners, the ones that had been incarcerated most recently, carried the weaker or younger ones on their backs, the Shinobi that had arrived to rescue them doing the same. Naruto would have offered his assistance with sand stretchers but right now it was taking his full concentration just to keep the guards restrained. Luckily they were being knocked out one by one by Fuu; with each that stopped struggling Naruto felt his control increase.

A small smile couldn't help but play upon his lips as he watched the prisoners get evacuated. If they were in good enough health the rebels had gained a few more Shinobi for the fight, if they weren't then they had saved many people from an unfavourable fate; either way they won. The benefit to the rebellion being mainly bloodline clans was that every person fighting was a huge benefit. It was sometimes unfair to say, but most often true, that a Shinobi with a bloodline was usually worth three or four regular ninja as they took less training to be just as useful. The main downside to them was simply they were more limited in what they could learn compared to other ninja.

Naruto stayed behind for a few minutes, making sure than nobody in the buildings realised what had happened before the rest had time to get away. They should have timed it so they caught the guards right after a shift change, giving them ample time to get away. However an error like that could have cost them the entire mission, not to mention all of those prisoners' lives. After five minutes Naruto figured that was enough time, his body quickly vanishing into the surrounding night to re-join with his comrades.

There would be a lot of celebrating back at the camp that night.

* * *

A single Shinobi jogged through dimly lit white corridors, the walls having a small sheen of moisture from the mist hanging in the air outside. His sandal-clad feet made rhythmic thumping sounds against the clean tiled floor. He didn't look left or right, already knowing exactly where he was going; the woman by the door didn't even look up as he passed; he had been there so many times before it had become practically routine.

Stopping and straightening up he caught his breath for a moment; he knew his leader hated it when his Shinobi appeared out of breath, it was a sign of weakness; the Mizukage did not tolerate weakness in his ranks. As per procedure he knocked three times on the door, calmly waiting for the call for him to enter. When he heard it he straightened his uniform before carefully opening the door. His leader had been in a rather bad mood lately and it wasn't unheard of for messengers to be met with kunai upon entering.

Luckily for him the Mizukage had his back to the door, staring out of the large panoramic window that looked out over Kirigakure. In the waning hours of the day, when the moon had begun its ascent into the sky the village was often cast into an almost ethereal glow. The moisture clinging to the clean white walls of the cylindrical buildings reflected the pale moonlight which was captured by the mist, creating an almost mystical scene. The streets themselves were completely barren of life, as if the whole village was abandoned; of course everybody was simply inside due to the curfew.

"What is it?" The Mizukage didn't bother turning in his chair, there was no need for him to see the people giving him messages. If they had gotten that far into the village then they were either an exceptional spy or just another of his subordinates. One way they left without hassle, the other, they didn't leave at all; there was a reason he was the Yondaime Mizukage.

"Report from the bloodline holding facility Mizukage-sama" If the Shinobi was a lesser man he might had stuttered in the presence of such a powerful man that could kill him in the blink of the eye; especially with the information he was giving him.

"Well then, place it on the desk and leave." The Shinobi gave a curt nod, knowing that his leader could see it in the reflection of the window. He cautiously set the manila folder on the large opulent mahogany desk, careful not to disturb the files and papers already neatly stacked there. With that he gave another quick nod before retreating from the room without another sound. As the door closed the large swivel chair slowly turned with a creak, revealing the man sat there.

He was surprisingly short for one who cast such an intimidating aura; the light greyish hair also contrasting that image. Otherwise the man could have been mistaken for a teenager; although the stitched scar running down from his left eye told that he had seen battles. Much of his body was cast into shadow from the moonlight streaming into the room from behind him but his cold pink eyes were perfectly visible in the shadows his hair cast.

Slowly he leafed through the report, his hand slowly tightening into a fist as he read more. Calmly he placed it down and stood from the chair, walking leisurely to the window where he stood, just looking out over his village. To one side a large staff leaned against the wall, on one end what appeared to be a large flower while on the other a curled hook. For a while he simply stared out over the village, his eyes narrowed slightly, before he took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"Very well then, I believe I have humoured Terumi's little rebellion for long enough."


	31. Water VII

**Digi-san does not own Naruto-kun, but the will of fire burns strongly in both of them**

* * *

**Sage**

_"Tyrants love to take advantage of a situation." - Brown Phantom_

* * *

Three cloaked figures flickered into a small clearing, the slim crescent moon overhead barely illuminating their surroundings. It was only training and reflexes that allowed them to navigate the treacherous ground, especially with the hazy fog covering the ground around their feet. The leader of the trio held up a hand, halting them before they could step out of the tree line. Carefully he peered out through the mist, using his superior eyesight to scope out the path ahead for enemies or any other unwanted surprises. Finally with a small nod they proceeded on, swiftly vanishing from their spots in blurs of speed.

When they reappeared to the civilian eye they were stood outside of a small out-of-the-way building that looked to be barely standing. The various small, high-up windows were either broken or so clogged with dust and dirt they were practically opaque. The walls themselves were almost completely covered in vines and other parasitic plants that worked their way into every nook and cranny, weakening the concrete. Cracks mirrored the plants, winding around corners or just spreading out like black spider webs. After a moment of carefully observing the building the leader of the group nodded again, the slight movement almost invisible in the darkened night.

"Are we sure this is the place?" The leader of the group pulled back his hood, allowing his spiky blonde locks to fall about his face. He looked up at the building before them; it just had 'gloom' written all over it and the sooner they could be done with this mission the better.

"It matches the intelligence we got." The second tallest of the group also pulled back her hood, revealing shoulder length green tresses and half-lidded orange eyes that caught the weak moonlight. "Although whether or not that makes it credible is debatable." The trio sighed at that even as the last member pulled down her hood, long purple hair flowing down her back like a waterfall.

"Well, that's what we're here for isn't it?" The leader just nodded with a grimace, this whole mission was just giving him a bad vibe, but somebody had to do it.

"Alright, follow my lead." With that he leapt up onto the roof of the building, his companions following shortly afterwards. The last three weeks for the rebellion hadn't been all that good; despite their victory with the prison camp they had begun to steadily lose ground. Their supply routes were being hit harder than ever, leaving many of their off-the-grid bases in dire need of support. Only when the help finally came they would only find a camp in ruins, the tents burned down and the rebels either missing or badly wounded.

Most disturbingly Naruto had noticed that only the supply runs that he took no part in were being ambushed these days, giving the loyalists a slight edge. It cost them both men and supplies, something the rebels really couldn't afford to lose. It spoke of a traitor amongst the rebels, somebody feeding Yagura information about their camp locations and supply movements while ensuring Naruto couldn't act against it. It was worrying because despite the investigation being done into it, no leads were being turned up.

Right now all of the forces in the north were spread thin; with their front lines weakened by lack of food and weapons the loyalists had slipped more than a few forces into their territory. Right now they were having to divert people away from the contested zones in order to protect their villages and towns. This in turn simply weakened their lines further, allowing more forces to slip through and continuing like this in a vicious cycle. Unless they could do something soon, or the spy was found, it didn't look too good for the rebellion.

Right now Naruto, Fuu and Shizuku had been sent out to investigate a report about an old supply cache that had been supposedly abandoned around the start of the rebellion. It was in a forgotten corner of Mizu no Kuni that was neither Rebel nor Loyalist territory. If the reports were accurate then the supplies here would bolster both their front lines and morale, hopefully breaking them out of this dangerous downwards spiral. Usually they would have a few more people backing them up but they just didn't have the Shinobi to spare.

"Alright, we go in, we split up and check everything then meet back here, okay?" The two girls gave the monk a curt, professional nod before darting off. Before Shizuku could go too far though she felt a hand tighten around her wrist; when she turned back she found herself looking into Naruto's glowing eyes. "Stay safe." He gave her a quick kiss which, when they finally parted, left the violette with a cute blush. She gave him a quick second nod before dashing off like Fuu had, leaving Naruto on his own.

Taking a moment to compose himself the blonde looked around, his keen eyes quickly spotting what he was looking for, a small ventilation shaft poking out of the roof. He knew better than to walk through the front door of a supply depot; they tended to be quite explosively trapped. While Naruto could absorb the Chakra from an exploding tag, the explosion itself was a different story. He trusted in his own abilities but time in a temple had swiftly gotten any foolishness like overestimating himself out of his system.

He quickly swung his body into the shaft, muffling his feet with Chakra so that he only made the softest whisper as he touched down in the metal tube. Training in the use of silent killing might seem strange for a monk, but the name was a misnomer; it was simply the skill to move without making a sound, killing was optional. It was all in the positioning of your feet coupled with economical movement. Unfortunately he wasn't allowed to know the true secret of the technique, a special form of Chakra manipulation that insulated the body, but it was enough.

Gently he removed a panel from the ventilation shaft, silently dropping down into a small darkened room filled almost to capacity by simple wooden crates. Rolling his neck slightly from the cramped vents he walked forward, shifting his back slightly to adjust his shakujou. During his time in the rebellion he had taken to keeping it on his back, stuck there with Chakra so it was easily accessible; it made things easier on covert mission like these. Curiously he lifted the lid on one of the crates, surprised to find it stocked to the brim with kunai. When he did the same for another he found it too was completely filled by shuriken making his eyes widen in surprise.

If every box in this room was the same then it would be enough to keep a camp going for a month, and this was only one room of the building. He hoped Fuu and Shizuku were having similar luck, but before he could assess any more of the crates he heard scuffled footsteps outside the door. Acting on instinct he silently jumped up to the ceiling, sticking there like a gecko and silencing his breathing. As the door cracked open, spilling light from the corridor, he held up a single-handed ram seal, quietly whispering to himself.

"Boidogakure no Jutsu." Like he was never there in the first place he suddenly vanished, only the briefest ripple in the air to show he had performed the technique. Beneath him a man walked in, his Kiri headband immediately showing his allegiance to the loyalists; Naruto would have known if they were receiving back up. He only seemed to briefly look into the room, his eyes darting about between the crates before leaving again. With narrowed eyes the young monk dropped from the ceiling with barely a whisper of noise.

'_It seems we're not the only ones checking this place out, I just hope Fuu and Shizuku realise that before they get noticed.'_ Deciding to continue on anyway Naruto quickly slipped out the door, still invisible to the senses. The corridor outside matched the rest of the building, drab and run-down; cracks splintered across the walls and the roof looked like it was on its last legs. If Naruto didn't have to be there he probably would have left in fear of the place just falling down around him.

Stealthily he moved down the corridor, checking each room as he passed; each time he found them completely full of those same crates. He could only guess that they were as equally stocked as the others. It made him wonder why a place like this got forgotten in the first place; however his thoughts were cut short as he was forced to once again jump to the ceiling to avoid a patrol walking beneath him.

'_Well not completely forgotten it seems.' _He was slightly annoyed by that; the intelligence they had received told them the facility was completely abandoned. No loyalists had been seen in the area for months. He didn't think that this was a coincidence. He was just about to turn back and go looking for Fuu and Shizuku when another patrol walked beneath him, completely ignorant to the fact he was listening in to their conversation.

"... hear? They already found one of them, Taichou thought it would have taken more time; they're supposed to be pretty good at sneaking around." Naruto raised an eyebrow at that, slowly following the pair down the corridor as he clung to the ceiling with Chakra.

"I know, but I was surprised when it was just a girl, she was no older than my daughter. Fucking rebels, don't they know when to draw a line?" The blonde began to grow nervous as they talked; looking up he realised he couldn't follow them much further as they were about to pass through a door.

"True, but what can you expect from those bloodline freaks? They don't think like us real people. I'm just glad Yagura-sama..." Naruto missed the rest as the door closed behind them; he had a frown firmly plastered on his face as he dropped to the floor, he really did not like the sound of that. Carefully he slunk back through the corridors, searching for any signs of his wayward teammates as he dodged more patrols. He wasn't worried about Fuu, when the mint-haired girl wanted to be she could completely blend in with her environment, like a camouflaged insect.

No, it was Shizuku who Naruto couldn't help but worry over; while the girl had made leaps and bounds in her Taijutsu and Ninjutsu, stealth was still a relatively new concept to her. She had good senses though and knew when to stay out of trouble but the problem was if she was already in trouble before she realised it. They had only recently started her in enhancing her eyes and ears with Chakra; he just hoped that small lesson was enough.

As he passed through another door the faintest of clicks graced his Chakra-heightened ears. Time almost seemed to slow to a crawl as he looked down and spotted the trailing end of the near-invisible wire he had just broken with the door. His muscles were already contracting to leap away as he brought his hand up, the Chakra surging through his coils as he watched the small tag fall from the ceiling, one side already half-engulfed in flame.

The explosion, in such a confined space like the supply building, was deafening; his ears were ringing with various phantom pitches as he staggered back. His control slipped and his semi-translucent body suddenly became visible, blurry and indefinite but definitely noticeable. It was only by pure instinct that he managed to dive into a nearby room, one wall completely caved in by the blast, as a few Shinobi suddenly rushed by.

He lay there for a moment, his eyes wide and his breathing ragged as he waited for the perpetual ringing to stop. When it finally decreased to a dull monotonous whine he could quite clearly hear the dull thumps of sandal-clad feet rushing by while he was safe for now surrounded by boxes. Dredging up what sense he could, the blonde shook his head, clearing out the last of the concussive blast's effects on his ears. He had been lucky to pull out a Shinra Tensei in time; the tag only had two seconds between being tripped and detonating.

As he jumped up to the ceiling he re-engaged his technique, rallying his control over his erratic Chakra, still pulsating wildly after such a shock. It was just in time as not a moment later two Shinobi raced into the room, carelessly knocking aside half destroyed crates and sending kunai and shuriken skittering across the debris-ridden floor. It was only after a few anxious minutes of them poking at various crates did they finally leave, allowing Naruto to drop down to the ground again. Rolling his neck slightly he quickly dashed from the room; his control over the Boidogakure technique had grown to the point where he could move at a decent jog without losing focus.

However it unfortunately dampened his reaction times, what with his concentration being split two or more ways at once. He found that out the hard way when another Shinobi emerged from a door just to Naruto's left, leaving the two to crash into one another, much to the Kiri-nin's surprise.

"Hey what th-" Naruto had already pressed his shakujou to the man's forehead before he could utter another syllable but the damage was done. His trained ear picked up the sound of sandals suddenly turning on dust-covered floors, approaching him with a lot of haste. He raced from the room again, doing his best to control his erratic Chakra but only partially succeeding. He hadn't realised how far he had managed to lose himself in the twisting hallways of the building until he found himself trying to escape, dodging Shinobi like some kind of strange obstacle course.

He was half a breath away from simply turning around and blasting everybody back when he finally found himself in a somewhat more open area that didn't seem to fit the scale of the building he had seen from outside. When he thought back though he realised he had gone down a flight of stairs at some point, barely even registering it as he vaulted a young man with pale blue hair. He stood there a moment, glancing around the room quickly to find the nearest escape route.

"If you are looking for the exit, it was behind you." A loud clank sounded behind Naruto as the door he had just come through suddenly bolted shut from the other side. However the blonde ignored that, instead looking towards the silhouette that had just separated itself from the shadows on the other side of the room. "How interesting, I was sure it would be the other one I caught first, Fuu was her name?" Slowly Naruto pulled his shakujou off of his back; he was still invisible but that didn't seem to stop the man from looking straight at him.

"Oh please boy, you can drop the Jutsu, I know exactly where you are. I know where everything is within a mile of myself." Naruto stared still for a moment, barely even breathing before slowly shimmering into existence. The man wasn't bluffing; he could see his light pink eyes following the movement of his arm as he removed his shakujou perfectly, despite not being visible. He calmly walked further into the room, into a large area at the centre illuminated by a large flood lamp overhead.

"I suppose you might be wondering how I knew where you were, or why you couldn't detect me before, or perhaps who I am, ne?" Naruto just kept his face impassive, his eyes narrowed slightly further than usual.

"I know who you are, Yagura." The man just chuckled softly as he too stepped into the light, an amused smile gracing his lips that didn't quite reach his cold, almost dead eyes.

"Aww, you took out half the fun. I had an entire monologue written out but you had to go and ruin it." He laughed quietly to himself again as he moved further forward, his steps uncaring and almost jovial. "I was always one for the theatrical, but I suppose you might have heard stories from your leader, ne?" Naruto stayed silent, bringing a greatly exaggerated pout to the young-looking man's face.

"Now don't be like that, I was expecting some rather pleasant conversation; it's not often I get to talk with a monk. They have a tendency to leave my country for some reason or another." As he spoke a decidedly cruel glint entered his eyes for just a fleeting moment, but long enough for Naruto to catch it. "Should I answer the questions that are so obviously tugging at you mind right now? Then again, I do love the look on somebody's face as they struggle for answers right up until the moment they realise it's all pointless anyway." Again Naruto stayed silent, calmly eyeing the man and his relaxed posture, so completely uncaring of the situation.

"So quiet hmm? That's not at all like the reports I've been getting." He looked up for a moment, a distant look in his eyes as if he was remembering a fond memory. "Friendly, peaceful, always the last to advocate conflict yet the first to finish it, ne? I had pictured you differently..." He smirked slightly as he looked at Naruto up and down in a way that made the blonde feel like a piece of meat on display. "...taller for one." Naruto kept his face blank, his eyes subtly moving around the room as he searched for any escape routes.

He had heard about Yagura, many different stories, many different perspectives, all painting the same image. He rarely came out from Kirigakure, preferring to lead his troops from afar with a calculating mind, like pieces on a chess board. However, when he did emerge he was like a completely different person. He would wade through battlefields, slaughtering anybody who crossed his path like they were nothing but nuisances. The only time people had ever seen him become even remotely serious was a brief scuffle where Mei first faced off against him; people didn't tell him much about that fight, most didn't care to remember.

"Not even going to rise to that? How very disappointing. I've always hated one-sided conversations, it makes me feel like some two-bit monologuing villain, ne?" Naruto remained quiet, slowly twitching his hand up in hopes of catching the Mizukage off guard. Like he had told himself many times, he was confident in his own abilities, but he was by no means cocky, taking on the Mizukage, or any Kage, sounded out of his reach.

"Oh, I wouldn't do that if I were you." Naruto's hand hesitated for a moment as a smirk twitched on Yagura's lips. "Something... bad might happen if you were to unleash one of your invisible blasts in such a tight space, ne?" With a simple hand motion from the diminutive Kage, ten Shinobi suddenly dropped from the darkness of the ceiling making Naruto's eyes widen in surprise at not seeing them before. Seeing this Yagura's smirk turned into a full blown grin, his eyes lighting up in almost sadistic pleasure.

"Ah there it is! The confusion, the shock, the questions..." He chuckled to himself again, taking on a barely sane expression. "...so many questions, ne?" His face became serious again, or at least his eyes did; he still managed to keep that confident and irritating smirk firmly plastered on his scarred face. "Did you really think you were the only one with the ability to go unnoticed? The only one to be able to turn invisible? You probably counted on the fact I wouldn't be able to detect you, ne?" His chuckle came out lower that time, more menacing.

"Please boy, ever since the Second Tsuchikage people all over the nations scrambled to come up with techniques to rival his own, not to mention ways of countering it. It's almost a shame my predecessor died killing him, I would have loved to known how he managed it. Either way I came up with my own way, what with Jiraiya of the Sannin so famous for his stealth; it wouldn't do for Konoha or anybody else interfering in my country." His voice was gleeful again; he obviously loved the sound of his own voice a little too much.

"Water's such an incredible thing, ne? It's all around us; hanging in the air, in the ground, in the sky and in our bodies. Did you know that around 6 percent of the air you're breathing, walking through, standing in, is water vapour? By pushing my Chakra through these trace amounts of water, I can literally sense everything within a mile radius. Plants, people, rocks, it doesn't matter as long as they have physical form." Yagura grinned maliciously as his eyes returned to staring at Naruto.

"But I seem to be getting away from myself, ne? Ah that's right, I was just about to send a message to Terumi and her fleeting little rebellion. What better way to do that than to string up their little helper? Don't think I don't know that you're the one who irritated my forces over the last few months, you and those two little girls that follow you around like puppies." The manic gleam returned to the man's eyes as he saw Naruto narrow his eyes.

"Surprised, ne? You really shouldn't be. I'm the Mizukage or Kirigakure no Sato, I am Mizu no Kuni, there is nothing I cannot see within the shores of my land." Naruto tried to catch the man off guard, quickly bringing his hand up in hopes of bringing down the roof on top of them. However he faltered as Yagura made a single subtle gesture with his finger and two more Kiri ANBU dropped from the ceiling. He hesitated because carried between them was Shizuku, her head hung forward and her body limp.

"Shizuku!" Yagura grinned at finally getting a reaction out of the blonde, motioning for the two ANBU to bring the girl over to him.

"The boy finally speaks! I was beginning to think you were too frightened to talk and that would have just been too boring, ne?" Naruto was doing his best to control himself but seeing Shizuku's limp, almost lifeless body like that had his fist trembling. The only thing that held him back was the fact he could still see her chest rising and falling in shallow breaths. "Interesting company you keep, ne? I thought for sure we had wiped out the Houzuki clan with Mangetsu, yet along comes little Shizuku here with her prodigious affinity for water Ninjutsu and ability to perform what should have been a technique to die out with that traitorous swordsman." The young-looking man had grown slightly angry in his rant bit quickly calmed himself down, putting a finger to his brow in amusement again.

"You want to know something interesting about the unique physiology of the Houzuki clan?" Yagura idly looked at his hand, turning it back and forth as brief sparks of lighting began to dance between his fingers. "While they are immune to almost any physical attack, be it blunt force trauma or even blades, they have an unusually low pain tolerance when it comes to electricity. I say unusual as during their technique they don't physically have nerves, yet even so..." Without warning the man suddenly grabbed Shizuku by the back of the neck, channelling the lightning into her body with a manic, gleeful smile. "They still feel the pain!" Shizuku's head suddenly shot up, her eyes wide as she screamed in agony.

"Shizuku!" Naruto was about to rush forward when Yagura suddenly stopped, letting Shizuku slump back to the floor, her body convulsing as blue sparks faded away over her body.

"Ah ah ah, what did I tell you about doing something brash? Somebody could get hurt, ne?" Naruto stopped, his hands now both clenched into fists that trembled at his sides. His head was lowered slightly so that his messy hair fell about his forehead, shadowing his eyes.

"Let her go." The Mizukage raised an eyebrow in amusement as he passed his staff from one hand to the other in a way eerily reminiscent of the way Naruto would with his Shakujou.

"What was that? I could have sworn I just heard a monk demanding something from a Kage." He smirked cruelly as he reached down, picking Shizuku up but the back of her neck. The girl was in too much pain to even struggle, she was just held there limply in the man's surprisingly strong grip. She couldn't even focus long enough to use the Hydrification technique; her body was just too unresponsive. She screamed out again as another wave of electricity passed through her body; although this time when it stopped Yagura kept a hold of her.

"Let her go!" Naruto took a step forward; making many of the ANBU in the room twitch their hands towards their kunai pouches. Again, Yagura only seemed amused, thoughtful even, before he quickly tossed the girl towards one of his men. The ANBU grabbed her and held her roughly, a kunai pressed against her chest as a warning. The message was clear; if Naruto tried anything the man would not hesitate to kill Shizuku.

"Oh so I did hear you right, how odd, ne?" He looked up, tapping his chin for a moment as he continued to smile down at the trembling monk. "You know what, I'm anything if not a merciful man; how about a demonstration of just how outclassed you are here, how outclassed this pathetic little rebellion is? I'll even let you leave here if you win." As he spoke a large grin spread over his features as he lifted his arms wide, almost mockingly. Naruto needed no further invitation as his hand shot up, the Mizukage's eyes already following the action and moving accordingly.

"Shinra Tensei!" Adrenaline pumped through the blonde's body, slowing everything around him slightly. He had put enough force behind that attack to level a small building, certainly enough to incapacitate a man if it hit them directly. However Yagura wasn't idle, his staff had already flashed forward, inscribing a wide circle in the air faster than most could blink.

"Suiton: Mizukagami no Jutsu." The young-looking Kage's tone was almost lazy as he stood there, watching like everybody else as water suddenly congregated in that spot, forming into a perfectly flat, circular mirror. What happened next would have made most believe Naruto had done nothing at all but with his eyes Naruto could see everything. A perfect replica of his technique emerged from the mirror, clashing with his own Shinra Tensei and cancelling it out completely. There wasn't even a breeze to show two insanely powerful Jutsu had collided, it was simply nullified in its entirety.

"Now do you see monk? Your every attack, your every move, copied down to the last detail and sent right back at you. It's useless, ne?" Naruto just grimaced as he put both hands up, channelling an enormous amount of Chakra into his hands and focusing it to the best of his ability.

"SHINRA TENSEI!" This time there was no mistaking that Naruto had done something, in an instant a deep gorge was gouged from the earth, shredding through the concrete as powerful gravitational waves rent the earth. When the resulting smoke finally cleared Naruto was shocked to see an identical trench meeting his, emerging from the mirror which was completely unscathed. The Mizukage appeared around the side, a playful smirk on his face as he twirled his staff absently.

"See it now monk? I don't know how I could make it any clearer with a mirror right in front of you." Naruto just huffed once before crouching, his muscles tensing before he suddenly shot forward, actually surprising many of the ANBU that a boy as young as him could move so fast. Meanwhile the Mizukage yawned into his hand, harmlessly dispersing his technique as he twirled his staff. Naruto was inches away from striking the man with two pointed fingers crackling with electricity when his eyes widened in surprise.

It happened so fast many would have missed it even if they didn't blink; one moment Yagura was lazily leaning against his staff, the next he had it held out in front of him. Naruto sailed back, skidding across the ground for a moment before rolling to a stop and coughing violently. Tentatively he got to his feet, clutching his chest where he was sure a large bruise would be forming, he hadn't even seen Yagura move yet he had struck him almost effortlessly. The worst part was Naruto somehow knew he was holding back on that blow.

"Aww is that all; you know I was hoping for a lot more from you." He looked around whimsically, once again twirling his staff as if he hadn't a care in the world. "Then again, I guess there's no sand in here for you to use, ne?" He smirked as Naruto's hands clenched again but frowned as a grim smile made its way onto the blonde's face.

"Wrong." Suddenly the backs of his hands glowed as two seals suddenly revealed themselves; moments later copious amounts of sand suddenly poured out, surrounding Naruto protectively. It wasn't as much as he would like but he had to make do with what little he could seal; it was difficult to seal Chakra-imbued substances, especially something like his sand. Yagura actually raised an eyebrow for a moment before chuckling to himself.

"Now that's a little more like it, but unfortunately for you... not enough." He suddenly crouched down, placing two fingers on the floor with a smirk. "Sangoshou." Before Naruto could react the ground around Yagura suddenly changed; random growths of strange red material suddenly appeared, spreading out at an alarming rate. As it approached Naruto suddenly recognised it as coral, except it was growing as if it were alive. In mere moments he was surrounded by it.

He sent out his sand to destroy it but to his horror as soon as a single grain touched the coral it was simply engulfed by it. It spread so fast that he sand didn't stand a chance; soon it was all gone, either surrounded by or simply absorbed into the red substance. Naruto quickly jumped up and away from it before it could reach him and ensnare him to, landing in a clear spot. When he turned Yagura raised his hand off the ground and the coral simply crumbled away as if it had never been there, taking the sand with it. His attention was brought back to the Mizukage as he tapped his staff on the ground once.

"Well, now I'm bored. It was amusing for a moment but ultimately it served its purpose. Do you know see what you face? Do you now see why it is futile to struggle against me?" He smirked, absently tapping his chin with the end of his staff. "I had wanted to send a message to the rebellion and have you be the one to send it, but honestly you're a little too dangerous to keep alive, ne?" The man sighed theatrically but his cruel eyes showed no regrets.

"Ah well, I'll find another way. My men are closing in on your little green-haired friend on the other end of the building; maybe she could do it in your stead." He looked up, staring into the distance in a contemplative manner before shrugging carelessly. "In any case, you two are now unnecessary." With a simple gesture from the man's hand Naruto was forced to watch in horror as the ANBU holding Shizuku suddenly brought his kunai back.

It was in horrific slow motion that he watched the kunai pierce his friend's flesh, blood spurting through the air as Shizuku's head came up. Tears stained her cheeks as her eyes widened in pain and surprise, her mouth open in a silent scream. She winced as the kunai was ripped out again, now stained a vibrant red as tiny rivulets of blood slid down its length. Shizuku and Naruto just stared at the patch of red that quickly spread behind her clothes; her eyes came up and met with his for a single second before time crashed back down on them.


	32. Water VIII

**Digi does not own Naruto, unsurprising for a pathetic, worthless Ningen**

* * *

**Sage**

_"The dead cannot cry out for justice. It is a duty of the living to do so for them." – Lois McMaster Bujold_

* * *

Drip.

Naruto's eyes focused intently as another small drop of crimson splashed out on the floor, creating a small circular stain. It was joined by another, then another, before a veritable deluge of red liquid fell from Shizuku's wound. He ignored everything else; his breathing, the sound of the ANBU wiping off the bloodied kunai, even the sound Yagura made as he passed his staff from one hand to the other. His focus was entirely on Shizuku and the slowly growing patch of scarlet around the tear in her kimono top.

"You see monk, everybody in the world has a weakness as long as they make foolish attachments to others. As a Kage you come to understand that to best rule your people, your forces, you must discard these petty feelings. I believe that is what you monks are taught is it not? To discard feeling and look objectively at the world in order to attain enlightenment, ne?" Yagura gazed at the stunned blonde coolly, raising a disinterested eyebrow at his lack of response. The pale-haired man simply sighed as he turned, shrugging rather nonchalantly as he made a deft motion with his hand.

Shizuku's body was thrown forward unceremoniously, rolling across the ground and leaving a small trail of her blood in random patches where she bounced, each time letting out another pained cry. Naruto was almost immediately at her side; none of the ANBU moved, awaiting orders from Yagura, but a few hands still twitched towards their respective weapon pouches. Naruto gently rolled Shizuku over, grimacing when the girl shuddered in pain and coughed up blood, staining her normally pale chin an ugly red.

"I-I'm sorry Naruto." The blonde's hand trembled when he heard her weak voice, staring uselessly at the gaping hole in her chest that was still pouring out copious amounts of blood.

"Don't talk, I-I can still help, I can get you somewhere to help." The girl's body was wracked with shudders again as her head tilted up in another painful cough, blood flecking her now dirtied clothes.

"N-Naruto..." The blonde grabbed one of her hands in his own, squeezing it in what he hoped was a comforting manner.

"Please don't talk, you need to save your energy right? That's what you're supposed to do in these situations right?" The blonde couldn't help but notice his voice now had a faintly hysterical edge as one trembling hand moved over Shizuku's body, trying to do something to stop the bleeding. When he pressed on the wound though Shizuku's eyes closed in agonising pain. It did nothing anyway, too much blood leaked between his fingers.

"N-Naruto, please..." The boy just grabbed her hand again, helpless eyes darting around madly looking, searching for something, anything he could do to stop this. He didn't know medical Ninjutsu, first aid would do nothing for something this severe; he felt so utterly and completely useless as he watched the girl he cared about so much bleed out right before his eyes .

"Come on Shizuku, stop with that voice alright?" A weak smile made its way onto Naruto's face as he held the girl's hand a little higher, squeezing it gently with that same hysterical tone in his voice. "You're acting like you're going to die or something." He chuckled shakily as Shizuku's eyelids began to slowly droop, fluttering back up with every jolt of pain coursing through her veins, slowly she felt her body become numb, the pain ebbing away in favour of a strange detachment, as if her body was no longer hers and she was just a spectator.

"Naruto..." He lips quivered slightly as she struggled with the words, already feeling the edges of her vision grow dark. All she could see were the two quivering orbs of Naruto's rippled eyes looking down at her with almost frantic worry, a few strands of blonde hair falling across them. He seemed to perk up slightly with her voice, giving a hand another pointless but comforting squeeze; unfortunately she could no longer feel the limp hand held in his grasp. "...p-please stop crying." her voice choked up at the end as more specks of red found their way onto her otherwise pale lips.

Naruto just blinked, noticing for the first time the few drops of clear liquid on Shizuku's cheeks, one of them lazily rolling down the curvature of her face. He lifted a still shaking hand up to his eyes and wiped at them, staring down with what appeared to be shock at the warm tears on the end of his finger. His eyes widened when Shizuku raised a shaking but still controlled hand up to his cheek, rubbing his whisker marks once before wiping them of the stains his tears had made. A faint, fleeting smile twitched at the corners of her mouth as a brief spark re-entered her eyes in that moment.

"T-There, that's better." It didn't last for long as her body was once again wracked with painful coughs that had her head swimming from the pain. The darkness around her vision grew and she began to lose sight of Naruto's face as the image grew fuzzy. With her last ounce of strength Shizuku forced another brief smile onto her face as her eyes closed, they just felt too heavy to keep open and right now she was so very tired.

"Naruto, thank you." And with that Shizuku's shallow breathing stopped entirely, her fluttering heartbeat coming to a slow, peaceful stop as her head fell to one side. Naruto became pale as he knelt there, hands covered in his friend's blood grasping at her cooling shoulders.

"Sh-Shizuku?" He felt his breath begin to quicken as Shizuku didn't answer, her body stayed limp, unmoving, lifeless. "Shizuku?" His grip on her shoulders tightened slightly as he gently shook her, as if she was only asleep and she simply needed to wake up. "Shizuku?!" He felt warm tears prickling at the edges of his vision again but sniffed them back, she didn't want him to cry so he wouldn't. "Come on Shizuku, you have to wake up. We still have things to do don't we?" A pained smile was forced across his lips as he continued to lightly shake the girl by her shoulders.

"Come on, we were going to try and find your family remember?" He choked up a little as he literally felt the girl's warmth leak out in his hands. "W-We still had stuff to do right, like your techniques?" His heart rate rose quickly as his smile turned into a pained frown; he lifted Shizuku's body up and hugged her against him, uncaring of the blood now staining his robes, his hands were covered in it anyway. "We were going to go to Suna and make it rain." His voice was little more than a hoarse whisper at this point, tears freely flowing down his cheeks as he just held the girl there.

He wasn't sure how long he stayed there with her cold body pressed up against his, her limp head resting on his shoulder as he sobbed. It was probably only a few seconds, but it felt like a lot longer. Gently and slowly he lowered her body back down to the floor, wiping off the last of his tears and leaving red smudges across his cheeks carelessly. With shaking legs he stood up, his eyes still firmly locked on his friend's still, unmoving body.

Yagura listened to all of this with a decidedly bored expression, absently staring at one of his fingers; he had granted the boy the girl's dying words on a whim, to see if anything interesting happened, and he was rather disappointed. Usually it excited him to see the light leaving his victim's eyes but this time he just felt indifferent. He felt as though he had dragged this out a little too long and wanted to get back to his nice cosy office. Absently he made another gesture with the hand he wasn't looking at.

"Deal with him, I've lost interest in this." He didn't bother turning back to look when all of his ANBU drew out as many kunai as they could. He heard the faint whistle as the wall of steel flew forward through the air, none of them even remotely off course; he only had the best in ANBU after all. He also noted with some amusement that even the ANBU he still had stationed in the shadows of the ceiling heeded his signal, adding to the barrage of flying weapons bearing down on the young monk.

However his ears twitched slightly when they weren't rewarded with the satisfying sound of metal hitting flesh. Instead all he got was the idle clatter of kunai hitting the floor, as if a ninja had simply upturned his pouch and emptied it onto the ground. When he turned he saw Naruto still standing there, not a mark marring his body; his hand was raised up, palm flat towards them while his hair fell forward shadowing his eyes. Around him, like a ring of steel, was a small armoury of kunai, not a single one anywhere closer than two metres to his body.

"Still fighting, even now? I thought you had realised the futility of such pointless actions, ne?" Naruto didn't say anything, his head remained down and his gaze on Shizuku's lifeless body. Slowly his hand lowered, coming to a stop at his side in a tightly clenched fist; blood dripped from between his fingers and Yagura couldn't tell if it was from the girl or his own from his fingernails biting into his palm. The Mizukage just sighed lazily, leaning against his staff without a care as he tapped his chin thoughtfully, wondering how to make this more interesting.

He didn't have to though; as he and the ANBU watched on a malevolent aura began to spread through the room. The winds around Naruto seemed to pick up slightly even as his body remained perfectly still, making his robes flutter slightly. Yagura was unimpressed, the level of killing intent was barely even noticeable to him and the ANBU weren't much worse off. However it quickly began to pick up; the winds that only seemed to affect the young monk grew in their intensity making his hair fly about, still somehow managing to shadow his eyes through it all.

Gradually the malicious aura permeating the air began to weigh down on the men in the room like an invisible pressure. Soon they realised it wasn't just that, there really was an actual pressure weighing down on their shoulders, making their bodies feel heavy and sluggish. Yagura still seemed unaffected but he at least had noticed the added weight on his body. Only a few of them noticed as Naruto's hands clenched even harder and with every muscle contraction the pressure on them increased.

It was only a few seconds before the first of them cracked, an ANBU on the ceiling that was struggling for breath dropping to the ground. Others soon followed, dropping down to their knees as they could barely stand to hold up their own weight, suddenly feeling as though they had enormous iron chains pulling down on their bodies. Through it all Yagura stayed standing, the only noticeable change being his eyes narrowing slightly and his teeth gritting in mild annoyance. The winds around Naruto were now so strong that a faint cloud of dust had begun to circle him steadily, his hair lifted up into the air that had begun to shimmer around him.

Yagura recognised what was happening and he could honestly say he was surprised; he had seen this many times before, but usually because he was at the centre of it all. Vile red Chakra began leaking from Naruto's skin, so concentrated it was actually visible, and started to form a shroud. It bubbled menacingly, as if it was alive and just waiting to lash out at anything and everything that came near. Ever so slightly Naruto hunched over as the raw, potent Chakra continued to stream out of his body.

"A Jinchuuriki? Those pesky rebels are better at hiding their secrets than I give them credit for, ne?" Yagura lazily rolled his shoulders, spinning his staff once only to slam it down in front of him. "I hope you know that won't save you; a brat like you could never have mastered your forms." The young-looking Mizukage gave a vicious grin that went unnoticed by the blonde at the other end of the room. "I on the other hand have no such restrictions, ne?" Upon not receiving an answer the Kage's lips twitched slightly; he hated to be ignored, especially by somebody beneath him.

"It's very rude to ignore your superiors, ne?" The only response he got was the cloak bubbling more as three thick and swaying tails of Chakra emerged from the base of Naruto's spine. At the same time the cloak around his feet widened into a shape more reminiscent of paws while on his head two long ears of Chakra sprouted from the shroud. Yagura just smirked, the bubbles in the cloak showed the boy had no control whatsoever, just a slave to the Bijuu's emotions; in this case most likely rage.

The strange thing was that wasn't the only thing happening; what the Mizukage had first believed to be dust billowing around the boy's feet actually revealed itself to be sand as it grew thicker around him. It would twitch upwards at random but never strayed more than two metres from the blonde, just circling him almost protectively. Not only that; the area of the cloak surrounding his arms was different, taking on a more purplish hue and appeared to be flaming more than bubbling like the rest.

Then, all of a sudden, it stopped; Naruto's eyes snapped open and in that moment the tails and various other parts of the shroud that made him appear fox-like vanished. However the cloak disturbingly remained, no longer undefined and bubbling, now crisp and sharp around his body like a second skin of Chakra. Slowly and deliberately the monk's head turned, allowing his deep purple eyes to lock with Yagura's more confused pink ones.

"You." His voice was almost a whisper, barely audible yet there was no mistaking that it was his own, there was no hint of any other influence guiding him as he took a step forward. Yagura just blinked in surprise; what he was seeing should be impossible; manifesting a full cloak without the tails and no physical change to his body was unheard of. It was like the Chakra wasn't a Bijuu's, but his to control as he saw fit. As his foot hit the ground it created a small crater from the sheer pressure of the energy surrounding Naruto.

Yagura snarled lightly; he hated being misinformed and caught off-guard like this, it showed weakness and he was anything but weak. In an instant he was surrounded by a similar aura of dark red Chakra, three long tails like those belonging to a shrimp waving almost excitedly behind him. Even his staff was encased by the energy making the flower whither slightly under the corrosive shroud. Unlike Naruto his body changed slightly, his eyes became red and ringed with a single golden band around the pupil.

"**You're punching above your weight-class boy." **The aura in the air became even more oppressive with the second Jinchuuriki releasing his inner Chakra. However where Yagura's was controlled but filled with an innate rage, Naruto's simply felt cold and powerful. The blonde never stopped walking forward, with each step creating another small crater as the ground beneath him splintered. As he got closer the pressure pushing down on the ANBU increased; all of them were pressed flat to the floor by now. Many of them began to whimper in pain despite their training, feeling their ribcages be slowly crushed as if some enormous weight had been placed on their chests.

"**You should stop now boy before I force you, ne?" **Naruto's features nearly twisted into an almost animalistic snarl, however his eyes never strayed from Yagura's. The Kage would never admit it but he was incredibly unnerved by those eyes, so full of cold, unbridled fury, glowing with the Chakra coursing through the young blonde's body. Yagura just let out a deep growl from somewhere in the back of his throat and charged forward, blasting a few tiles back from the speed he moved.

There was an explosion of dust and debris as the two met, Yagura with his staff raised to strike and Naruto... doing nothing. It took a few moments for the air to clear but when it did the few ANBU that could successfully lift their heads or were lucky enough to be looking in the right direction could only widen their eyes behind their masks. Naruto simply stood there in a large crater, the sand still whipping around him angrily.

Yagura was about a foot of the ground, held up with Naruto's hand firmly around his throat. The staff lay on the ground, knocked from his hands faster than the Kage could comprehend before he was seized painfully. Even through the protective cloak of the Sanbi's Chakra he could feel that slightly flaming purple hand around his throat, tightening slowly. When he looked down he saw Naruto hadn't changed, his face was still twisted into a snarl and his eyes were just as cold. However there was something there now, a glint of a feeling Yagura hadn't ever seen when fighting somebody before... satisfaction.

Faster than an eye could even blink Naruto pulled back his arm that held the shocked Kage in its grasp and launched the man forward. The Bijuu-cloaked Mizukage flew backwards, propelled by incredible force through the ceiling of the room, out through the ground above him. Naruto cast a cold impassive look around the room, his eyes lingering on Shizuku's body for a split second as his gaze softened before it re-hardened at the ANBU. He walked back to Shizuku's body, picking it up under one arm, not even stopping to marvel at how impossibly light she felt.

He looked up, pointing his closed fit to the hole Yagura's body had sailed through before splaying his hand. Instantly the roof of the room was blown back, Naruto didn't even have to speak, his Chakra simply moulded instinctively, sending gravitational forces rippling through the room with more power than he had ever used before. He jumped up with a powerful burst of Chakra, hovering for a moment over the ground before touching the wet grass above. Around him the ground fell apart, crushing everything in the room; a part of him realised those ANBU were still down there, another part just didn't care.

With gentleness that most wouldn't think possible with him enshrouded in such foul and potent Chakra Naruto lay Shizuku down on the ground. He soon turned his attention back to the Mizukage who just then emerged from the tree line, looking rightfully irritated. Naruto on the other hand gazed with a cool rage burning just beneath his purple orbs, directed entirely at the grey-haired man.

"**I'll admit you surprised me with that boy, I had not expected you to be so fast; do not think I will underestimate you again." **Naruto remained where he was, eyes remaining locked on Yagura as a cool rain poured from the sky, evaporating instantly when it met the two Jinchuuriki's cloaks. The young-looking Kage suddenly hunched over as the oppressive and overwhelming Chakra around his body suddenly contracted. The skin on his body began to peel away in a grotesque manner, giving way to a black and red seething mass of pure-unrestrained Chakra. Soon all that remained was a small, humanoid figure with three shrimp-like tails and a spiky tortoise-esque shell made of the same almost liquid-Chakra.

Naruto didn't even blink, he just slowly walked forward his feet still creating craters with each step. The miniature-Sanbi suddenly raised its head back, tails coming forward and hovering over the mouth of the beast. Little orbs of blue and red Chakra burst out of its body all over, floating for a moment before suddenly rushing back in, compressing into a large black ball. The Chakra-beast wavered for a moment, the tails struggling under he weight of the compressed Chakra that looked like it was trying to burst outwards despite its perfectly spherical shape.

Undeterred Naruto stalked forward, not even making a motion to defend himself as the mini-Sanbi finally gained control over its attack, suddenly launching the Bijuudama forward. Naruto lips merely twitched as the enormously dangerous attack rocketed forward. He stopped, taking a deep breath while all the while maintaining eye contact with the red humanoid-mass that was Yagura. Before the Bijuudama could hit four long projections of Chakra suddenly emerged from Naruto's cloak, acting similarly to when Yagura had created the sphere and catching it with their tips.

A huge shockwave blasted back the nearby trees as the figurative immovable object and unstoppable force met before a moment of stillness settled over the clearing. Almost immediate the large black sphere shrank, not compressing but simply dwindling away as Naruto completely absorbed the powerful attack. As soon as it was gone the long tail-like projections shrank back into the cloak and Naruto resumed walking forward. The version-two Yagura's large white eyes widened in surprise and, unwittingly, fear as the Chakra-cloaked monk moved towards him.

"Banshou Ten'in." Before Yagura could do anything he was flying through the air towards the blonde outstretched hand. Once again the normally unstoppable Kage found his neck tightly in Naruto's grip as his hand slowly began to squeeze. Much to the Jinchuuriki's horror where his cloak met Naruto's hand it began to bleed away, revealing his own skin beneath. He could literally feel both his own and the Sanbi's Chakra get absorbed into the younger boy; something that by all accounts should have killed him due to the Bijuu Chakra's corrosive and poisonous properties.

Suddenly all three of his briny tails jabbed forward, indenting to skewer the boy that dare hold him, a Kage, in such a manner. However they were immediate halted by the sand still circling his feet, acting as if by its own volition. For the very first time since Yagura had become the Yondaime Mizukage, as he was held there by a boy less than a third his age, he felt true, unrequited fear in his heart. Suddenly a snarl appeared on his strange red face as his struggles renewed with vigour.

"**It's not over yet monk!" **An explosion rocked through the clearing that even managed to blast Naruto back, leaving him to skid along the ground, leaving two long trenches where his feet ripped through the earth. When he lowered his arms from shielding his eyes he stared up with that same fury at the enormous visage of the mighty Sanbi no Kyodaigame itself which only stared back with one furious eye. It released an almighty encompassing roar that could be heard for miles around that Naruto didn't even flinch at.

Slowly, languidly even, the Chakra-shrouded blonde began to raise himself up in to the air until he was above even the mighty Bijuu. He stared down at the beast with cold, fury filled eyes that had the beast's own widen in shock before he raised a single arm.

"Shinra Tensei."

* * *

Fuu hadn't finished dealing with the Kirigakure Shinobi that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere when the earth-shaking blast rocked the building. All around them the cracks in the walls grew as dust rained from the ceiling. Everybody had the same thought of self-preservation as they rushed from the building, finding the nearest exit and dashing out into the rainy night. As they did a deafening roar echoed out that filled all of the Shinobi with an innate, terrifying feeling as they looked towards the source with horror.

Fuu didn't waste time like that, she knew that wherever that roar came from Naruto was bound to be close by. She jumped up onto the top of the building and dashed across even as the roof began to collapse around her. She had to stop a moment as a massive shockwave of air and dust suddenly blasted past her, forcing her to grip the roof with Chakra before carrying on when it finally cleared. She leapt off at the other end, sprinting at full speed towards where she could feel the oppressive power of an unleashed Jinchuuriki up ahead.

Fuu didn't know if that meant Naruto was fighting a Jinchuuriki or he had resorted to his own Bijuu's power. Either way it was bad and Fuu knew she had to do something to help; after all there were few better to suppress a Jinchuuriki than with another Jinchuuriki. Finally she emerged into a large clearing that looked recently made, the trees around the edge were all violently bent back, most were broken and shattered into splinters. In the epicentre of the massive clearing was an equally large crater and at the centre of that, was an unbelievable sight.

Naruto was holding a humanoid creature Fuu knew to be a version two Jinchuuriki forms and based on the tails she knew it had to be the Sanbi container, Yagura. She sighed in relief when she saw Naruto didn't even look remotely injured, a strange tail-less cloak surrounding him as his eyes bored into Yagura's. As she continued to watch the red layer bled away, absorbed into Naruto's body through the contact he had around the Mizukage's neck.

At that moment something else caught her eye, as the edge of the enormous crater was a limp, lifeless body that had Fuu's eyes widening in surprise and shock.

* * *

Yagura began to feel his vision go fuzzy as the blonde monk holding him up by his throat continued to steal all of his Chakra; both his and the Sanbi's. He could only look into the boy's purple rippled eyes, chuckling to himself inside as he thought about the irony of being killed by a bloodline-user; one with the most powerful Doujutsu ever known no less. He was surprised though when, as he felt the last of his tenant's Chakra be absorbed, he saw something change in the monk's eyes. For a brief instant, almost unnoticeable if he hadn't been looking directly at them, three tomoe appeared in the boy's eyes.

Two circled the outermost ring in the eye, forming two-thirds of a triangle between them while the last was on its own in the centre ring, the small tail of the magatama flicking away from the pupil. As he watched a fourth tomoe materialised in the outermost ring, completing the triangle before all four faded away. A choking laugh escaped his throat that only served to have the blonde tighten his grip even further, cutting him off.

"What now monk, will you kill me? But that's breaking your moral code, ne?" He managed a grim smile as Naruto continued to glare at him with those murderous, legendary eyes that narrowed.

"You deserve worse than death for everything you've done." The young looking Kage coughed, already feeling his life slipping away from the forced removal of his Bijuu; no matter what happened he was going to die. Strangely, he felt no fear, only a strange, almost uplifting freedom; it would have sent him into a fit of hysterical laughter if his windpipe wasn't currently being crushed in the boy's hand.

"Maybe, maybe not, but are _you_ going to be my executioner? You don't have it in you. We both know it." Naruto looked away at that and Yagura felt the boy's hand tremble slightly; he managed one last grin at his supposed last victory that quickly died on his face as the blonde's gaze snapped back round.

"Human path." Time froze for Yagura as a cold chill swept through his body, like a million tiny hooks were grabbing at every fibre of his body. It burned like he had been buried in ice; then, just as suddenly, it stopped with a horrific ripping sound. There was a moment of peace as he felt free, like a stray cloud floating on the breeze, then... nothing.

"That was for Shizuku." Naruto panted slightly as the cloak of Chakra around his body slowly dissipated; he still held Yagura's body in one hand, now limp. He dropped it to the floor coldly just as he felt another presence at his side. Fuu looked down at the dead body of the Yondaime Mizukage with a mixture of contempt and confusion; she wasn't quite sure how to feel in this situation. However she felt there was a more pressing matter as she placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Naruto, I-" The blonde just walked away without a word, leaving the mint-haired Jinchuuriki to simply blink. She turned to see him stalk over to Shizuku's body, dropping to his knees beside her and just sitting there. After a moment or two she walked over and joined him, both just sitting in the silence of the clearing, the bodies of their best friend and enemy both lying dead around them.

* * *

The atmosphere in the command tent was rather light for once; despite the rebellion being slowly pushed back the conversation seemed to have shifted onto a more jovial topic. Mei was taking it all in with a smile as she sat back on her seat, a small smile on her face. This was what she fought for, to see her people smiling and happy, joking despite the rough times. She sighed happily as something Chojuro said managed to set Ao off on one of his rants.

"Really, back in my day you would not only be ineligible for such things, but you would be actively denied from taking part. Really, I didn't think I had become too old that the youth today would know nothing of the traditional ways." There was a brief silence as Mei's eye twitched violently, a dark aura appearing around her body.

'_Ineligible...denied...too old...' _She slowly got to her feet however before she could give Ao his usual death threat they all heard some kind of commotion outside the tent. Blinking in surprise Ao immediately activated the Byakugan beneath his eye patch. However what he saw just had him stood stock still gulping like a fish thrown onto the shore. A minute later they heard a smaller but closer commotion just outside the tent. A minute later when the outside had settle into an eerie calm a figure ducked in under the flaps.

Mei sighed internally when she saw it was just Naruto; she was a little miffed that he had simply walked in unannounced though as the guards were there to stop people doing that. However she immediate noticed something was wrong when Naruto lacked the usual serene smile he always wore; in fact his face was completely devoid of any warmth. It was that moment she noticed the blonde was dragging something behind him... correction, somebody.

A moment later the entire command tent was staring at the lifeless body of the Yondaime Mizukage as Naruto carelessly tossed his limp form into their midst. A moment later he walked straight back out again without a word, leaving everybody in shocked silence.


	33. Water IX

**Ehh, Digi doesn't own Naruto? Like I care, my back is killing me right now**

* * *

**Sage**

_"Trying to forget someone you love is like trying to remember someone you never met." – Proverb_

* * *

Fuu had to catch herself on the wooden wall again as the floor beneath her feet lurched, nearly throwing her to the floor. For somebody with such a naturally dark and caramel complexion she looked unusually pale as she staggered through the corridor, constantly having to use a hand to steady herself. She had found out recently that she hated ships, with a passion; the constant rocking motion left her disoriented and dizzy as her stomach churned with nausea. Currently she and Naruto were on a rather large ship travelling from the northeast coast of Mizu no Kuni, around Kaminari no Kuni's peninsula and onward to Tsuchi no Kuni.

She moved out onto the deck of the ship with weak legs, doing her best not to tremble slightly. Out here in the fresh air at least she felt a modicum of control return to her limbs, as long as she secured herself with Chakra to avoid being thrown around by the rocking waves. She peered up at the bright sun shining down on them overhead, reflecting off the surrounding waters to give everything rather annoying glare. She had to put a hand above her eyes just to peer about the deck, not that there were many people around up here.

Sure enough she sighed as she spotted the person she had been looking for. Naruto was where he always was, at least since coming aboard; he stood at the railing, just staring out at the sea with dull, unseeing eyes. He had been this way ever since Shizuku had died; he had barely even spoken a word to anybody. They had left the rebel camp as soon as they had dropped off Yagura's body; Fuu figured it was because the camp reminded him too much of all the time he had spent with Shizuku there. They weren't stopped, mostly because everybody was just too shocked that Yagura was dead to do anything.

By the time Mei had snapped out of her stupor and made sure the body was in fact the real deal it was too late to send anybody after them. Between them the two were nearly impossible to track due to their experience in hiding their Chakra signatures and Fuu's knowledge of covering up trails. She sighed again as she carefully made her way over the deck, eyeing any wet patches warily so that she didn't slip up. She made it over, resting her hands firmly on the railing behind the blonde who didn't even look up to acknowledge her.

They stood there for a while in rather awkward silence; Naruto not speaking because he had nothing to say while Fuu was silent because she had no idea what to say. It was times like these that fuelled her hatred of Takigakure; maybe if she had a normal childhood she would know what to do in a situation like this. She sighed again, resting her chin against her forearms uselessly; if only she wasn't so socially awkward, or had taken Naruto's advice and gotten to know some of the rebels.

"Do you think she would have liked this view?" Fuu actually blinked in surprise as she looked up, shocked at hearing Naruto's voice for the first time in two days. He was usually the instigator of their conversations but with his recent bought of introversion and her general awkwardness it had been painfully quiet recently. She looked out in the same direction he did, watching the clear blue waves rise and fall, crashing against the bow of the ship; the sight nearly made her lose her lunch as she paled another shade.

"It depends, would she still like it with dark clouds and constant rain?" Unsurprisingly, but still strangely, with Shizuku's death the rain that had followed them for so long finally abated, the skies clearing up as if to acknowledge the girl's death. More surprisingly though Fuu actually saw a small smile pass over Naruto's face, his eyes gaining a hint of melancholy. She had noticed that he hadn't kept his eyes narrowed like he normally did recently. She wasn't sure if it was because he didn't notice or he simply didn't care anymore.

"You're right, things would be so different in she was still here, if I had just done something to save her." That small smile slowly slipped away as he returned to staring out at the churning waters. His shakujou wasn't at his side, more than likely tucked away in Naruto's cabin; it wasn't like it was going to be stolen. Fuu looked at the boy for a moment, indecision wracking her features before she finally placed a hand on his shoulder. She wasn't good with people but she had seen Naruto do it to others before and it seemed to help them.

"You shouldn't blame yourself Naruto, Shiz-" She couldn't finish as Naruto suddenly turned on her, finally something other than that horrible dead look he had been wearing in his eyes; anger.

"Why not?!" He pulled his shoulder out from under her hand, slamming his fist down on a railing; the anger didn't last long though, it just wasn't like Naruto. Slowly his face returned to one of sadness as he slumped to the deck, back propped up only by the railing. "It's my fault Fuu, it's all my fault. If I had been faster, or more in control, maybe if I had sensed them earlier or had never accepted the mission, if I knew medical Ninjutsu..." he looked down, his head lolling forward limply "...maybe I could have saved her." Fuu hesitated a moment before sitting next to him, both just looking down into their laps.

* * *

_Naruto and Fuu stared down at the recently upturned earth in front of them, an almost perfect rectangle of two feet by six feet. Naruto's robes were covered in dried mud from digging the grave and tears still stained his face, making small streams through the dirt on his cheeks. The shovel he had been holding slowly disintegrated away into black dust, some of it falling on the grave itself. Fuu stood on the other side, knowing she should be sad but not finding any tears of her own flowing; she hadn't cried since she was a much smaller girl._

"_I think she would be happy with this." The blonde looked up at her but said nothing; they were standing on a high cliff overlooking the shore. A beach stretched out beneath them and if it wasn't for the recent rain making the entire area feel drab and dismal it would have been a picturesque scene. It had stopped raining not long after Naruto had finished patting down the last of the earth although the two were still drenched._

_He stood up slowly making Fuu follow him up instinctively and just stood still for a moment. After a moment of some kind of internal debate he raised one hand, his fingers moving in a complex and dizzying pattern. The ground at the head of the loose earth bulged before bursting out as sand. It began to stream around, compressing and shaping itself until it formed a large, humanoid figure. Fuu blinked in surprise when she found herself staring at a beautiful sand sculpture of Shizuku, complete with her trademark kindly smile._

_Naruto stepped forward and placed a hand on the statue, closing his eyes as blue flame erupted around the hand. Slowly it spread across the sculpture, covering more and more of it in blue flames until it was one large cerulean inferno. Despite the fire itself giving off no real heat Fuu couldn't help but cringe back slightly and worry for Naruto, who was still just standing there, palm pressed against the Shizuku look-alike._

_When the bright flames finally abated and Fuu could lower her hand her eyes widened in surprise. Instead of a perfect replica of Shizuku made of sand, there instead stood a white marble version of her. He had used Banbutsu Souzo to shift the very structure if the sand into stone; not even using his Chakra rods as a medium, it was incredible and he didn't even look tired after using it. The mint-haired girl marvelled at the perfect likeness in silence; it was perfect to the last detail, her clothes even appeared wet and it looked like drops of water clung to her hair. It was exactly as Fuu remembered the girl._

"_It's beautiful." Again Naruto remained silent, staring into the lifeless marble eyes of the girl he had cared so much about, and could do nothing to save. For a moment his eyes flickered down to Yagura's soulless corpse to one side, like an intruder at this private moment. It passed as his sad gaze returned to the memorial __to his friend. Over time it would wear away, erode and break apart like any statue exposed to the elements; but not while he was alive, not while he still had Chakra left._

* * *

"It's my fault too you know." The blonde looked up, his head coming up out of his wallowing to briefly glance at Fuu. This time she was the one with the far off look, staring out over the reflective water that glittered in the setting sun. "Maybe if I had stayed by her side, not left her alone when she wasn't ready yet..." Fuu surprised herself, she didn't usually speak much and that might have been the most she had said in a single sentence in a while. She managed a small smile; it felt alien on her face even now after all this time.

"At least she was avenged though." At that Naruto looked away, one of his hands clenching into a tight fist that had his knuckles turning white.

"Because I killed him, because I threw away my beliefs and took his life without even stopping to think first." His shoulders slumped forward as he breathed out, his fist unclenching with the exhale. "I'm a monster." He blinked lethargically when Fuu suddenly appeared in front of him, legs tucked beneath her as her orange orbs pierced his Rinnegan eyes.

"Naruto, am I a monster?" Despite his depression Naruto's answer was instinctual, almost bred into him by a need to protect those around him from harm both physical and emotional.

"Of course not Fuu, you-" She suddenly pressed a finger to his lips, silencing him as she looked away towards the deck of the ship, suddenly unable to meet his gaze.

"The first time I killed was when I was eight years old." Anything else Naruto might have had to stay suddenly died on his tongue as his eyes widened. "They woke me up earlier than they usually did, pulling me outside to my training ground. There were people there, people I didn't recognise that were all looking at me in ways I didn't understand. Looking back now I think it was pity, or maybe anxiety; I'm not sure." She didn't look up as she talked and her voice was low, a whisper as if divulging a secret that shouldn't be spoken.

"There was a man there too, he looked injured and beaten up; I was brought in front of him and told he was an enemy of Takigakure and therefore deserved to die. They put a kunai in my hand and I didn't even tremble." Naruto could see her hand tighten slightly, a look of regret entering her eye and the only reason he didn't reach out to comfort her was she still had a hand pressed against his lips.

"I looked at him for only a few moments, he didn't look up, or talk, or do anything; he just knelt there; I think he had accepted it by then." The girl finally looked up, her orange orbs locking with his own again. "Do you know what I thought back then?" Naruto couldn't move, he was too transfixed by the way Fuu was looking at him, her gaze held so much intensity. "I thought, 'which artery do I cut so that blood won't get all over me?'." She looked down again, her eyes losing that fire and becoming dull again, like when Naruto had first found her in that same training ground.

"It didn't work, that night I had to sleep in clothes drenched in the man's blood; I was never told his name, or what he did that deserved his death; I never even asked. It wasn't my last kill either. I stopped counting after a while, it just became a number anyway somewhere in the back of my head. I never questioned any of it, just doing it because I didn't want to be punished for disobeying." She looked up again, her eyes steeled as she looked at Naruto; he wondered if she was expecting some kind of reprisal for her words.

"Am I a monster?" Naruto gaped at her speechlessly, mouth struggling to catch up to his mind that was moving a mile a minute. Eventually he shook his head slowly and managed to get a small fleeting smile from the mint-haired Jinchuuriki. "Then how could you ever be?" Naruto opened his mouth to speak again but found his throat oddly dry; his head slumped forward as he returned to staring at his lap.

"You don't understand, it was different." His shoulders trembled for a moment as he remembered that moment, where he could literally see Yagura dying right before him. "I literally held his soul in my hand, I could feel it, everything that made him who he was, his life, his techniques, his memories; I could feel it all." Fuu remembered that; at the time she had thought it was a trick of the light but she swore she had seen Naruto pull some kind of ghostly, ephemeral being from Yagura's body, accompanied by a sickening tearing noise.

"Look." He raised a hand; slowly, lazily even, he drew a large circle in the air and before Fuu's very eyes a large, perfectly clear mirror appeared out of thin air, created entirely from water. "That was his technique, I didn't even know it existed before fighting him and now I feel as if I have been practising it all of my life. Everything he did, all those horrible, unspeakable acts against humanity..." he looked up, eyes dull and lifeless. "..they're inside me now." Fuu widened her eyes slightly; it sounded horrible, yet at the same time hugely beneficial. To have all the experience of a Kage in mere moment was just unreal.

"Is it...?" She trailed off, unsure of how to ask without sounding as though she was prying; after a moment Naruto nodded slowly.

"Yeah, it's another path; the Human path." Naruto gained a faraway look as he spoke; he had never imagined one of his abilities could be that way.

"That what is-" She was cut off as Naruto sighed loudly.

"Please Fuu, I don't want to talk about it right now." Fuu paused before nodding submissively, it was what she was good at after all. But to be honest Naruto really didn't want to talk about it; if he could he wouldn't even be thinking about it. Just remembering how Yagura's soul felt in his hand, so cold yet filled with life at the same time. His memories were still there, his thoughts and experiences, just beneath the surface; they were suppressed by Naruto's own consciousness so only the things he wanted bled through. Eventually the silence up on the deck became too much; Naruto had finally started talking again and he really didn't want it to go away so soon.

"Fuu?" The green-haired girl looked up expectantly, glad that Naruto wasn't completely shutting her out again. While she was poor with social skills she still craved the attention and warmth of others like any other human; she just didn't understand exactly why. "What if it changes me? What if I become like him and I change?" He nearly jumped when he felt Fuu's hand gently rest on his shoulder, meekly raising his eyes to look at her again.

"Do you feel different?" Naruto raised a hand to argue but Fuu's penetrating stare made him falter.

"But later-" Fuu's glare only increased in intensity and Naruto found anything else he had to say evaporating.

"Do you feel any different?" Naruto could only maintain eye contact with her for another few moments before looking down.

"No." This time Fuu gently raised his head with a finger under his him, a soft smile that was rarely seen on her face crossing her lips.

"You are still Naruto, and until you decide otherwise nobody and nothing can change that." The blonde blinked rapidly for a second, he had never heard Fuu say anything so profound before; he wonder where it came from. "Yagura was an evil man, the things he did will probably never be forgiven by those they affected; many people would see you as a hero for killing him." Naruto's shoulders slumped again as his head lolled forward.

"But is that an excuse for taking his life away? I killed him out of revenge, now people will look to me in revenge for his death and if they killed me then somebody would go after them in revenge again. It's an endless, horrible cycle of hatred and revenge that has no end and will ultimately consume humanity if somebody doesn't stop it." He raised his hands up, placing them on his forehead as his brow furrowed into a deep frown. "But humanity is what it is, the cycle has gone on for so long and not even the original Sage could stop it... what can I do?" He felt Fuu settle down next to him, her warm body pressed up against his from the side as she stared out over the sea.

"You don't need to come up with an answer just yet; you have your whole life still for that. For now just give yourself time to grieve and move on, find a new happiness, new friends." Naruto looked up, eyes widened in shock as he stared at Fuu's green tresses from the side.

"Move on?" Fuu's mouth set into a soft smile, if only for a moment, before she turned to meet him, managing to give him a small blush at how close their faces were all of a sudden.

"Shizuku once told me you made her a promise that she would never have to cry again. What makes you think she would want to see you the same way?" Naruto looked down, remembering some of the girl's last words to him as she wiped the tears from his eyes.

"But I broke that promise, I couldn't protect her." He looked up again, startled as Fuu suddenly rested her head on his shoulder. It was a little awkward but she had seen boys and girls do this in some towns they passed through and they seemed to be happy, she thought it might help.

"No, you didn't; did she once cry after that?" Naruto tried to think back to that moment, despite the pain he felt in his heart as he did so but sure enough he couldn't remember Shizuku crying even a little as she died. He sighed wearily; his body going slightly limp against the railing and looked up at the sky which was beginning to darken as the sun dipped below the horizon behind them.

"Fuu." The girl looked up, her bright orange eyes looking up at him in a way that despite the situation was undeniably cute. "Thank you." Her face remained the same as she gave a small nod, noticing the tiny smile at the corner of the blonde's lips.

"We're friends aren't we?" Naruto simply nodded.

* * *

Naruto sat in his cabin breathing slowly and deeply; it was a week's trip by boat ride from Mizu no Kuni to Tsuchi no Kuni and they were currently on the third day. He had finally gotten out of the depressed air he had assumed since Shizuku's death and although he was still saddened and mourning her, everything seemed a little clearer now. For one he realised he probably shouldn't have left the rebels like that, without a word. He especially felt bad for not even speaking to Nezumiiro after everything the four of them had been through, she probably didn't even know Shizuku was dead.

He simply resolved to see her again, which got him to thinking about what the rebels were doing now. Without the Mizukage he could guess that Kiri was currently panicking; no doubt Mei would take advantage of that. It almost made him laugh that when he had entered Mizu no Kuni he hadn't even known what to expect, or how to help. Yet, in the end he was the one who took down the Mizukage; for all he knew the rebellion was over and Kirigakure was in Mei's hands now. He had always heard people calling her the future Godaime as if it was a certainty, now at least it was.

He shook his head, once again trying to clear his thoughts of any and all distractions as he calmed his breathing and his slightly erratic Chakra flow. With his time in the rebellion he had never had all that much time to simply sit back and meditate, he had changed a lot from the monk he had been setting out from the Fire Temple. Right now he was trying to find his roots again, it wouldn't do for him to return to the temple only to find nobody recognised him anymore. Absently he blew a stray bang of hair from his face, he really needed to get it cut soon; suddenly though he felt a familiar tug and released himself to it.

* * *

He grimaced at the sight around him; if he had thought these hallways looked bad after assimilating Matatabi it had nothing on this. Corrosive Chakra leaked in almost steady streams from the new pipeline on the ceiling, burning through the floor but luckily without the acrid stench. He grimaced slightly, having been mostly ignoring the pain running through his body; he had been too numbed by Shizuku's death to even care at the time. Right now though he realised that allowing himself to burn from the inside out wouldn't really be productive, not to mention Shizuku would probably admonish him.

He almost smiled at the thought before reining it in and focusing intently on his own Chakra system. Around him, unnoticed due to his eyes being clenched shut in concentration, the pipes fixed themselves like they were being reversed in time. Rust creeped back before vanishing altogether and new rivets materialised to keep the structure together. When he opened his eyes he no longer felt that dull burn like acid in his veins and the corridor around him was gradually healing from the damage he had allowed to occur. It would take a while to heal completely but he seemed to at least get the new Chakra source under control.

Speaking of which he frowned as he made his way to the large chamber holding his various tenants. As expected it had re-moulded itself to accommodate the newcomer, having become a heptagon with the new gate between Matatabi's and the Kyuubi's. However the new tenant seemed less than pleased to be there; the Sanbi was roaring madly as it repeatedly bashed its tails against the somewhat weakening bars of its cell. With some panic Naruto realised that the seal was still quite weak from the transfer and all the time he had allowed the new corrosive Chakra free reign in his system.

"Stop!" His voice was surprisingly strong, managing to drown out the beast's roar for a moment, only to go completely ignored at the beast continued to thrash against the bars. "I said stop!" Once again his cry went unanswered, the giant turtle still bashing manically against its jail. "STOP!" This time it did stop, it was forced to as a sudden blast of invisible force sent it skidding back into the darkness of its cell. Thankfully Naruto noticed the bars had immediately begun to repair themselves as he increased his Chakra in the seal.

However not a moment later the three-tails took the opportunity to charge the cell with surprising speed for a creature its size; no to mention it didn't look like the most mobile of animals outside of water. It hit the metal with a sickening screech as the steel bent back under the assault. Once again Naruto sent the enraged turtle back with a Shinra Tensei, this time preventing it from getting any closer than a few feet so it couldn't continued this assault.

Now that he had prevented the Bijuu from harming the seal anymore he could get a good look at it. His memories from after Shizuku died up until he saw Yagura die were crystal clear but seeing the beast while in a rage and seeing it when he was calm allowed him to observe a few more things. For some reason or another one of its eyes seemed permanently closed, but that wasn't what caught his gaze first. No, what he saw were the three tomoe spinning angrily on a red background, circling an equally black dot of a pupil. It was an eye that he knew all too well, an eye that had haunted his dreams from a young age in the Fire Temple.

He froze for a moment, but only until another loud and enraged roar snapped him out of it. He immediately rushed forward, slamming his hands onto the bars of the cage and channelling as much Chakra as he could muster into them. Immediately the various dents and scraped fixed themselves, the bars looking pristine as if they were new. However at the same time the Sanbi began to thrash about violently, its singular eye darting about in a crazed, panicking manner. Then, suddenly, the Sharingan dissipated simply leaving the creature's normal red eye ringed with a single golden band.

When Naruto saw this he backed off from the bars, panting from the exertion of using enough Chakra to fully invade a Bijuu's system. He had just used the second method of releasing a genjutsu, a timed burst of his own Chakra in the afflicted's system. It turned out though that the timed 'burst' was enough Chakra to have most Kage on their knees from the strain. If Naruto wasn't currently in the seal and this body was actually real he might have collapsed. As it was he simply needed to take a few deep breaths.

The Sanbi on the other hand didn't appear to be as lucky; it seemed to take a few confused glanced around the room with its one working eye before it closed, the beast collapsing into exhaustion. Naruto took a few steps back on still rather shaky legs before sitting down in a very messy cross-legged position that would have had any of his sempai from the temple lightly smacking him on the back of his head.

"W-What was that?" He looked around to see Shukaku looking at him nervously, his large clawed hands wringing around one another, a comical sight if not for the situation. He continued to glance around, spotting Matatabi predictably asleep, having blissfully slept through the entire ordeal. Finally his eyes rested on the Kyuubi, his body hidden away in the darkness of his cell with his eyes cracked open and an unpleasant snarl on his muzzle.

"**That Ningen, was the Sharingan, the unfortunate bastardisation of the Sage's prized eyes. For centuries those damnable eyes have haunted us Bijuu, ever since the first Uchiha awoke them." **Naruto managed to catch his breath as he sat there, watching the Kyuubi's eyes bore into the Sanbi's cell, either in contempt of disgust he couldn't tell, perhaps both.

"That's right, you can be controlled can't you?" The glare he was sent by the mighty fox was positively murderous as it walked over, bringing its body into the light.

"**I am controlled by nothing Ningen." **Naruto just nodded absently getting a highly irritated and menacing grunt from the fox.

"So the Sanbi was being controlled? By who?" That seemed to placate the fox, or at least redirect its infinite rage onto something other than the small blonde monk.

"**It's unmistakable; the stench of Uchiha Madara permeates the air around Isobu." **Naruto filed away the Sanbi's name for later as he turned his attention back to the great fox.

"Madara? I thought you said he died?" The fox grunted again as he lay its head down on its paws in the classic manner.

"**If only the cursed Genjutsu of the Sharingan were so easy to break, I would never have fallen under that damn Ningen's..." **The fox trailed off and Naruto knew he had been about to say control before he caught himself. **"In any case a genjutsu able to enthral a Bijuu would naturally be strong enough to last beyond the users death; that is, if Madara Uchiha is in fact dead." **Naruto raised an eyebrow at that in confusion, looking to the Kyuubi for clarification.

"**If there was any of you Ningen able to slip by the Shinigami it would certainly be **_**that **_**man, although he would be a frail old man by now." **The thought seemed to bring a rather vicious smirk to the Kyuubi's face; obviously picturing his greatest enemy as a withered husk of his former self was quite satisfying. Suddenly though the fox turned, its slitted crimson eyes glaring at the young blonde before him with a newfound malice.

"**Regardless, there is the matter of you forcibly stealing my Chakra Ningen." **The fox's great maw leaned even closer to the bars of the cage with another grin. **"Do you not think that validates... compensation?" **A chill ran through Naruto's body as he stared up at those malicious red eyes, staring down at him expectantly.


	34. Earth I

**Digi doesn't own Naruto no sir! But Tobi's going to get the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki because Tobi's a good boy!**

* * *

**Sage  
Book VI: Earth**

_"To injure an opponent is to injure yourself. To control aggression without inflicting injury is the Art of Peace." - Morihei Ueshiba_

* * *

"Compensation?" The Kyuubi's grin widened as it somehow manage to move his face even closer to the bars of his cell, one of his clawed paws pressing against the metal.

"**Simple, release me from the seal and allow me to tear your body apart quickly and all will be forgiven." **Naruto blinked once before staring at the fox blankly for a few seconds. The strange thing was that he understood that the Fox killing him swiftly as opposed to with excruciating prejudice was actually a concession on the Kyuubi's part.

"You're a terrible negotiator for creature supposed to be sly and cunning." The fox growled but Naruto new by now it was half-hearted; it was odd to thing of the mighty Bijuu as joking. "Anyway, I have no idea how I would release you at all; I assume it's not quite as simple as just forcing all of your Chakra out of my body?" He knew that wouldn't work, such a thing would tear apart his Chakra network and probably paralyse him for live, if it didn't just outright kill him.

"**Actually, you could release any of us in the same manner as Father did originally." **Everybody's attention turned to Matatabi who had just awoken; stretching out like any feline did after waking from a nap, small or large; or in this case very large. Naruto just responded with a very eloquent nod that showed he had no idea what she was talking about. After the great flaming cat had settled, still luckily awake for now, she sighed.

"**Father used the Banbutsu Souzou to create us bodies and then allowed our Chakra to seep into them slowly over a time." **Naruto blinked, he hadn't thought of that; mostly because he had never considered using the Sage's most powerful technique to create a living, breathing body. He heard a grunt from the Kyuubi's cage and turned to see the fox had adopted a similar position to his 'sister'.

"**A Ningen like him could never master that technique to that degree; he cannot even perform it correctly." **Naruto quashed his annoyance at being spoken about like he wasn't there in favour of curiosity.

"What do you mean not doing it correctly?" The fox just snorted and closed his eyes dismissively making the blonde sigh; he should know better than to think the Kyuubi would ever willingly help him.

"**He means you are only using half of the technique's full potential." **The Nibi was met by a loud growl from the Fox that merely went ignored by the flaming feline. **"Telling would be cheating but to understand you have to know more about how Chakra works and what it is composed of." **With that the great cat Bijuu closed her eyes, yawning loudly as if she hadn't already been asleep for a few days. Naruto on the other hand merely sighed; it all came back to Chakra, the very reason he left the temple in the first place.

He looked at the Sanbi again; it was still unconscious so he would have to come back later for answers but the whole affair with the Sharingan eye had left him rather startled. It brought up a lot of very painful memories he thought he had gotten over, but apparently he couldn't bring himself to truly get over Ayame and Teuchi. He sighed as he looked around again, noticing that Shukaku was oddly quiet and was still wringing his hands in that strange way. He had never seen the giant Tanuki so reserved before; it was like the Kyuubi acting submissive, just unsettling.

"**Father?" **Naruto walked over to the cage, noting that the Kyuubi's eye had cracked open slightly to observe but he ignored it.

"Yes Shukaku?" The Sand construct ducked down to his normal position with his head close to the bars of the cell so he could look Naruto closer to the eye.

"**Shukaku felt Father was angry, and sad. Shukaku sent his sand to help because Shukaku doesn't like when father is sad. Did Shukaku help?" **Naruto blinked in shock at this odd new side to the Ichibi, it was like he was worried for Naruto. He had thought the Tanuki was merely insane, overlapping his feelings for the Sage onto him due to his eyes and, if what he kept saying was anything to go by, his appearance. He remembered clearly the point in his fight when Yagura had been about to impale him with all three of his tails before the sand rose up to stop it without any prompting.

"Yes Shukaku, you helped a lot." A soft smile came over his face as he stared up at the now happy features of the enormous Bijuu. It was strange to think that he could no longer see Shukaku as the immense being of destruction he was hailed as, it was just too outside of the personality he had seen. In many ways it was a lot like the Tanuki really was a child of sorts, although he wouldn't go as far as to say he was Shukaku's father.

"**Shukaku will always protect father just like father protected Shukaku!" **The being gained a proud grin on his jagged mouth before ducking down as Naruto reached a hand through the bars of his cage. Naruto made sure to rub extra-vigorously on the Ichibi's sandy head, just to make sure Shukaku knew his efforts were appreciated, even if he probably could have healed from anything Yagura inflicted by that point.

He once again left the seal with a satisfied feeling, with all four Bijuu currently housed inside of him laying down. Two in unconscious stupors, one taking a nap and the other simply faking as he watched the events with a single slitted red eye. However the satisfaction was tinged by a few problems that would be wracking his brain for the next few days. As usual from his conversations with his tenants he was left with far more questions than answers.

* * *

The boat was approaching the end of its journey to Tsuchi no Kuni, and so were its passengers. They had to make a brief stop in Yuki no Kuni for supplies which gave Naruto and Fuu an hour or two to look around the snow-filled port town they stopped off in. It seemed like a nice place, if not too cold and a little quiet for Naruto's tastes; and that was coming from a monk. It hadn't lasted long though and soon they had continued on their journey to the home of Iwagakure.

Naruto had noticed that their brief supply stop seemed to cause problems with a few of the other passengers. After he had gotten out of his depressed stupor he had been informed that the ship was carrying a film crew on it, quite the prestigious one too. Apparently Yukie Fujikaze herself was aboard, although she had refused to come out from the lower decks while the boat was anywhere near Yuki no Kuni. Naruto hadn't really paid it any mind, everybody was entitled to their own secrets; although his natural curiosity regarding why an actress would be so distressed about a particular country had been piqued.

Ultimately though it was more of an inconvenience than it was interesting; every so often during the trip various areas of the ship would be cordoned off. Apparently the director wanted them for various scenes in the movie and the captain was more than happy to comply on the off chance it would bring more business to his ship. Naruto simply found it irritating when he wasn't allowed to go up on deck in case he interrupted a scene. When he had told them he could become invisible and therefore wouldn't disrupt anything they had just looked at him strangely.

However the worst thing was the last night on the boat when a sudden 'inspiration' hit the director and he had practically demanded he be allowed to shoot a scene inside Fuu's room, meaning the green-haired girl had to spend the night with him. It didn't help that when he insisted on taking the floor Fuu had simply joined him anyway. Apparently his body heat was much more pleasant than the thin blankets provided by the ship. It was an awkward night for him, although Fuu seemed to enjoy herself if the soft smile she wore the next morning was any indication.

The blonde didn't really have an issue with Fuu sleeping near him, he actually rather enjoyed the company. It was just the fact it reminded him of the nights he had spent with Shizuku which led to him reminiscing and ultimately getting less sleep than he would have liked. On that vein, by the time they arrived at the shore of Tsuchi no Kuni Naruto had lost enough sleep that he had begun to gain black rings around his eyes that would make Gaara proud. As the boat pulled into the harbour of the astoundingly large port town they had entered into Naruto could be found sitting in a meditative position up on the top deck, towards the stern of the ship, or at least that was how Fuu found him.

"The ship's arrived in Ketsugan Machi." All she got from the blonde was a curt nod, his face maintaining that same look of absolute calm, laced with concentration. She noticed the air around the monk seemed damper than normal, which was strange considering they had ben out at sea for the past week. Honestly Fuu was just glad to be getting back onto dry land where the floor wouldn't keep moving beneath her. Flight she could handle, quite well in fact, the sea and anything to do with water-transport, not so much.

"I know, I can feel it." Naruto finally opened his eyes, releasing a small breath he hadn't realised he had been holding. The Yondaime Mizukage, while a despicable and terrible man, certainly was powerful, and his techniques reflected that. His ability to sense everything around him using water Chakra laced through the air was a startlingly useful ability. Naruto sort of imagined it was close to what a Byakugan user saw when using their Doujutsu; except it was probably closer to echolocation.

Of course Naruto's water affinity was not nearly as strong as Yagura's so he could so far only stretch his senses out around two hundred meters while sitting still. However within that range Naruto could detect everything in a similar way to how he could feel Chakra signatures through his sand. He had felt Fuu approaching him as soon as she had left her bed; it wasn't the clearest picture, more like a fuzzy outline at best, but he could also feel her Chakra signature. The technique was also weak where there was less water vapour in the air but on a ship out at sea that wasn't really an issue.

"Alright, let's go." Fuu nodded happily; he had noticed that since he had come out of his own depressed shell Fuu seemed to open up more around him emotionally. He couldn't be sure if she was doing it in an attempt to comfort him or she felt some kind or guilt at Shizuku's death. Either Naruto rather liked the change from the normally expressionless Kunoichi to a more relatable teenage girl.

The two quickly made their way off the ship, noting that the film crew wasn't far behind them. It made Naruto wonder what film the director could be shooting if he had to come to earth country; it wasn't exactly known as the most aesthetically pleasing place. Either way he ignored them as the two set off into the rather large town that was famous for its fishing industry and shale export; it was a veritable trading hub that Iwagakure regularly capitalised on. They liked to use it as a base to send their Shinobi teams off on their long distance missions, at a discount from the captains of course due the protection the Shinobi offered.

After ten minutes Naruto realised he had been relatively lost in his thoughts as the two aimlessly wandered through the town. Fuu of course had been obediently following him, naturally trusting him wherever he was going, as she had been since Taki. He stopped in the middle of the streets, only Fuu's advanced Shinobi-trained senses preventing her from walking straight into his back. He looked around, noting they had entered some kind if shopping district before making a beeline for the nearest café.

A few minute later and Naruto was quite happily sipping on some tea while Fuu was content with water; it was something Naruto found amusement in given her aversion to sea travel. He sighed as he leaned back in the seat, idly glancing around at the people eating and drinking around them. He saw families and couples, men that looked like they were waiting for business partners of maybe clients; all together in one place.

"So what now?" Fuu had remained quiet up until this point but she had finally voiced the thought that had been plaguing Naruto for the last few minutes. Finally with slightly frustrated sigh he leaned back forward, staring despondently into his tea.

"I'm not sure." He rolled his neck once, noting that he had somehow drawn the attention of a few older patrons in the café. "I would recommend going to Iwa and working on earth manipulation but honestly my master warned me of that. Apparently I bear too much of a resemblance to the Yondaime Hokage and it might not be safe for me." Naruto quietly sighed at the thought; at the start of his journey he might have paid no heed to those words, after all he was a monk, he had faith in humanity to look past such petty things as physical appearance or resemblance.

Of course his journeys had enlightened him in a way; now he was sure that people accosting him purely for looking like a man who had simply done his job in service of his country was perfectly possible. The thought wasn't exactly welcome in his idealistic mind but it was definitely there; he now realised that humanity simply had a darker side he could no longer blissfully ignore. This realisation had of course been a product of fighting in a horrendous war built on the back of paranoia and ignorance.

"Is there anywhere else you could learn earth manipulation?" Naruto paused for a moment as his gaze returned to Fuu, his eyes focusing intently on the girl for a few moments as a few thoughts ran through his mind.

"Why are you following me Fuu?" The girl looked genuinely startled at the question, her large orange eye widening in surprise.

"W-What do you mean?" Naruto sighed wearily as he resumed staring into his cup of tea, watching as the distorted reflection of the sky wobbled as he moved the cup.

"What do you gain from being with me? So far I have nearly put you in trouble with Kumogakure and dragged you into a civil war you could have died in." He looked up, sadness brimming him his rippled eyes. "I don't want you to follow me to your death Fuu." The mint-haired girl relaxed slightly, exhaling in relief; she had thought Naruto was abandoning her ad honestly, she wasn't sure she could take that. It would most likely shatter what little emotional stability she had left.

"Like Shizuku?" Naruto visibly flinched at her unintentionally accusing tone that wasn't really directed at him. He refused to meet her gaze as her eyes continued to bore into the side of his head, tracing the outlines of his spiky locks. "Naruto, what happened to Shizuku was not your fault." Again his eyes refused to come up and meet hers. "She chose to follow you because you saved her from a life infinitely more terrible than anything else. She followed you because she saw something in you that made her want to follow you. If you're at fault it's for just being an amazing person who would think about others before himself." Finally Naruto's head raised a little, his eyes peering up curiously.

"Then why do you follow me?" He saw a soft smile alight on the Jinchuuriki's lips; Naruto had to admit she looked incredibly cute like that.

"Because while I didn't see that same quality at first, you were there for me long enough that I was able to." Her smile took on a more melancholic hint but her eyes never strayed from his. "For that alone I will continue to follow you, no matter what you say." Finally a small smile tweaked the edges of the blonde's lips as he sat a little straighter in his chair.

"Thanks Fuu." He sighed deeply and drank down the rest of his tea. "It's good to know I have a real friend with me." The mint-haired girl simply nodded with a rather satisfied smile on her features as she casually sipped at her glass of water. "Although that doesn't really help with where we're supposed to go next." Fuu cocked her head slightly, her eyes drifting away lazily in thought.

"There may be a library with earth manipulation techniques in Tsuchi no Kuni's capital?" The mint-haired girl shrugged slightly as she talked; she was grasping at straws as much as Naruto was. The blonde could only return the shrug in kind as he scooted his chair back and stood up, allowing Fuu to down her water as they left the café.

"It's worth a shot; I think Iwa should be a last resort." Fuu nodded; it wasn't hard for her to spot the resemblance between Naruto and Minato Namikaze. She had been taught about many of the previous powerful Kage and other notable Shinobi as part of her training. Usually it involved strategic exercises on how to counter many of their more famous techniques. However there was no known counter for the Hiraishin no Jutsu, part of what made the Yondaime Hokage so formidable. He could literally kill you before you had even begun to realise he was there.

In fact, many of the old legends of the Shinobi world, those like Madara Uchiha, the Shodaime Hokage, The Nidaime Tsuchikage and Mizukage and the Sandaime Raikage were still recognised as the most powerful Shinobi to ever live, including those alive today. Many of their techniques were still puzzled on and people found themselves hard-pressed to come up with counters many years after their deaths. In each case it had taken them ether killing each other, in the case of the first four, or simply overwhelming force, in the case of the Sandaime Raikage, for them to finally be defeated.

"I agree." The two once gain moved through the village, this time with purpose as they made their way west. Still, with only the jingle of Naruto's Shakujou breaking the silence between them it became rather awkward. It made Naruto miss the idle chatter Shizuku could always come up with, or the various strange noises Marseru would make. The little Capuchin had disappeared sometime after Shizuku's death, or maybe Naruto had simply forgotten him in his depressed haze. Either way he somewhat missed the little presence perched on the end of his staff.

Their small moment of peace couldn't last long though as Naruto felt a multitude of signatures slowly begin to surround them. Their Chakra levels, from what he could detect through the air and through the ground, definitely put them as Shinobi but not particularly powerful. If he had to guess he would say they were a squad of relatively new Chuunin. He looked over to see Fuu's eyes looking around slightly more attentively than before; it seemed she had noticed as well. Naruto sighed and turned into a nearby alleyway, intentionally drawing out whoever was following them.

"Hmm, look what we got here boys." Another small sigh escaped the blonde's lips as six men, barely over twenty, dropped down from the nearby roofs. A moment later he quirked an eyebrow as he looked up at one of the roofs before returning his attention back to the men, adopting his 'kindly monk' persona with his eyes narrowed and a serene smile on his face.

"Can I help you Shinobi-san?" Fuu had to suppress a scoff as she stood back boredly. This was a boy who had single-handedly taken down a Kage, a Jinchuuriki no less, and he was being polite with a bunch of ruffian Chuunin. The poor fools had no idea what they were playing with here; they never even noticed as a small wall of sand appeared at either end of the alleyway, blocking it off from the rest of the town.

"Yeah, I suppose you could." The leader of the bunch, as there always was, sneered contemptuously at the small blonde. He was a fairly unimpressive man with lank black hair scraped back into a very small top knot and small beady black eyes. The rest were just as forgettable, each wearing the standard Iwa uniform of a dull earthen flak jacket and the single sleeved tunic beneath it. With some curiosity the monk noted that the girl near the back of the group seemed decidedly more nervous than the others, anxiously fumbling with her hands.

"You see, my companion happened to notice a certain monk walking around that bore a rather striking resemblance to the Yondaime Hokage." The man sneered again in a rather unpleasant manner that Naruto only raised his brow t briefly; rather annoyed his intimidation hadn't worked the Shinobi continued. "You know who that is right? The monster that butchered thousands of Iwa Shinobi in the third great Shinobi war?" Naruto raised his other brow to match the first before sighing visibly.

"I would call it narrow minded to consider a Shinobi killing people monster-like behaviour but I can understand how it may appear that way. Of course forgetting that it happened during a war where multiple Konoha Shinobi also died as well is rather ignorant." The man blinked for a moment, as did a few of his companions, before a nasty look crossed over their features, the first already reaching for a kunai.

"Are you calling me an idiot?" Naruto smiled softly, catching more than a few of the Shinobi off guard with the kindly gesture.

"Of course not, ignorance is very different from stupidity; ignorance would be attacking me merely for a resemblance to a man simply doing his duty to protect his village, as any loyal Iwa Shinobi would have done in his place or situation." His smile never left his face as he spoke but his eyes took on a decidedly harder glint as he looked up at the leader of the group; not that the man could see that. "Stupidity would be attacking me at all." While his first words seemed to give all the Shinobi pause, especially the Kunoichi at the back, the last one seemed to send the men over the edge.

"Why you little brat!" The man pulled out his kunai only for it to immediately fly from his hand, straight into Naruto's awaiting palm. The blonde looked at it curiously for a moment as the other Shinobi stopped, amazed by whatever Naruto had done.

"Did you know the Kunai was never originally a weapon? Simply a multi-purpose tool? It was Ninja that turned something used for manual labour and levering into a method of killing." The blonde sighed as the Iwa-nin seemed to re-gain their composure, irked at Naruto's lecturing tone. "Humans are so good at that it make me wonder how we survived for so long being as self-destructive as we are." He absently tossed the small weapon to the side just as another slid into the lead Shinobi's hand.

"Tessai, maybe we should-" The Kunoichi flinched as the leader of the group turned to her with an angry glare.

"Shut up Manabi, we need to teach this disrespectful brat a lesson." The Kunoichi faltered under the man's gaze; she personally was perfectly fine with leaving the boy alone, even if he did bear a starling resemblance to the yellow flash. It was that way with many Iwa residents, they had moved on; or at least they had understood the very points the young monk was trying to get across. Still, Tessai was her captain and she would be charged for insubordination if she refused to at least follow him. Luckily as the team medic she was under no obligation to fight, something she greatly appreciated only a few minutes later.

When the first Iwa Shinobi rushed in, a rather stout man that was obviously not expecting much resistance from a young monk based on his poorly executed jab, it was like a switch had been flicked. Moments before the man was anywhere close to hitting Naruto, the boy had already slipped into his stance. He slid around the punch, dropping between the man's legs in an impressive display of flexibility before flipping him gently so he came to a rolling stop on the ground. Naruto stood back up, the Iwa Chuunin did not, he was almost completely drained of Chakra.

Fuu smiled involuntarily at the sight; she hadn't seen Naruto use that style for a while; during the war he had favoured the more aggressive, but equally non-lethal, Kaminari no Mai. It was better for dealing with multiple opponents, as long as they could actually get close to Naruto which was a rarity in itself. In this case she knew Naruto was strictly using Taijutsu so that the Shinobi had nothing strange to report when they went back to their commanding officer. He was most likely using the Mizu no Mai so there would be no visible evidence of actual conflict, lessening he chances there would be reprisals against him for assaulting Iwa Shinobi.

"Mari!" Another of the men rushed forward, this time not underestimating the young blonde as he came forward with a much more disciplined sweeping kick, for all the good it did him. Naruto simply dived at the man, re-directing the two quick punches aimed at his face with well-time slaps before simply grabbing the man's head. In a few moments the man was unconscious, lacking the Chakra to even stay awake. Naruto had found via experimentation that his Preta path not only worked better through direct contact, but by aiming in an area with one of the Hachimon, the celestial gates that regulated mass Chakra flow, he could drain a normal Shinobi in a few seconds.

"Further conflict can be avoided if you simply take your comrades and leave my friend and me alone." All he received were three glares and a rather meek look from the Kunoichi who was astounded by the skill shown from the young blonde.

"Damn you brat, I'll teach you to mess with Iwagakure." Naruto only sighed, not bothering to point out that they had been the ones to strike first, knowing his words would fall on deaf ears. This time two of them moved forward at the same time, their similar features possibly making them brothers or twins, as if numerical superiority might give them an edge. Naruto quickly put down that idea as he deftly spun underneath the first blow, redirecting the force of the punch downwards to offset the man's balance.

He used the man as leverage to flip over him, avoiding a similar attack from the brother as he planted a hand on the back of the first. Using that as a base he performed a one-handed handstand, simultaneously draining the man beneath him so that by the time he landed behind the second brother he dropped to the floor, exhausted. By the time the second one turned Naruto had already gracefully followed the movement, staying behind the man as he grabbed the back of his head. It was always the best place for his Preta path due to the presence of two gates, the Kaimon and Kyuumon.

Ao had been surprisingly helpful when he was unravelling these oddities with his Preta path, explaining the location, function and various uses of the gates. There were a few members of the rebellion that could actually open a few, no more than the third though, who also proved to be informative. Naruto had yet to actually delve into opening any of the gates but it was definitely something for him to ponder later. Back to the fight though, if you could call it that, and the leader of the group who had hung back until now saw the folly in attacking Naruto. However he made a mistake in assuming that Fuu was the weaker of the two; she was, but that didn't make her weaker than him.

A few seconds later saw the man on the ground, clutching at his eyes in agony before Naruto promptly walked over and finished the job. He looked up, not even looking remotely winded as five Iwa Chuunin lay on the floor, all of them completely incapacitated without so much as a scratch. He specifically looked at the Kunoichi who looked back with a mixture of fear and awe. Naruto really didn't like that look, it disturbed him somewhat to think people might actually fear him when he meant no harm.

"You are welcome to tend to your teammates if we can leave in peace." The Kunoichi seemed hesitant, technically by attacking her comrades, despite them initiating, he was her enemy. Yet at the same time she both had no wish to fight and knew she was completely outclassed here. With a small nod she quickly scurried over to the nearest of her unconscious teammates, allowing Naruto and Fuu to calmly walk out of the alleyway, nobody noticing as the walls of sand dispersed harmlessly.

A few minutes later and Naruto stopped, purposefully looking up at a nearby rooftop. Moments later and from that very spot a man jumped down, landing solidly in a horse stance. Fuu could tell just by the way he moved he was both powerful and well trained, a Jounin at least, nothing like the Chuunin back there. If this came down to a fight she wasn't sure Naruto could get by purely on Taijutsu.

"Heh, pretty good Gaki; not a lot of people can detect me when I don't want to be found." Naruto calmly observed the man in the moments he could; he seemed friendly enough but he was obviously a Shinobi and lying was kind of in their job description. He was an average sized man with spiky maroon hair done up in a bristly pony tail with a messy moustache and beard. He wore a rather simple purple kimono top with brown armour slung over, reminiscent of the older armour of the first Shinobi war. The most notable feature was the wooden headpiece tapered into a three-point crown and a black piece of moulded metal running across his nose.

"Can we help you Shinobi-san?" Resuming his peaceful monk routine seemed rather pointless given that the man had been watching him fight those Iwa Shinobi but Naruto rather liked to act that way. Sometimes he could just lose himself in the role and actually pretend he was just a normal monk for once; oh how he wished that was true sometimes.

"I don't know yet, why don't we walk for a while?" Naruto shrugged and the man gestured a specific direction, away from the town; it was where Naruto and Fuu were going anyway so the small blonde agreed.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki, my companion is Fuu." The stout redhead nodded his acknowledgement as they walked, not breaking stride for a moment as the passed the boundary of the town.

"You can call me Roushi."


	35. Earth II

**Yo say Ho! This is the one and only mighty Kirabi telling you that Master Digi doesn't own the Jinchuuriki of ol' Kyuubi, Naruto Uzumaki, ya fool!**

* * *

**Sage**

_"__Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.__" – Buddha_

* * *

The trio would have been an odd one to most who passed by, not that any did Naruto noticed; in fact many people got one look at Roushi and immediately backtracked, or at least moved to the other side of the street. It didn't last long as they were soon passing the outskirts of the town but it made Naruto wonder. They weren't like the looks of scorn and hatred he remembered from his time in Konoha but more along the looks of slight fear or unease; as if they didn't mind the man but still wouldn't prefer to be near him.

Naruto didn't see anything immediately wrong with Roushi apart from the obvious fact he was a Shinobi, an undoubtedly powerful one given his Chakra levels. There was also his rather outlandish appearance; he wasn't exactly wearing the standard Iwagakure uniform despite donning their headband. In fact his clothing looked more like it belonged on somebody who had fought before the First Shinobi War.

He also noticed the occasional raised eyebrow he got when he tried to get a read on the man through the moisture in the air. His range was much lower when he moved, only around a hundred feet, but with Roushi walking right next to him that wasn't much of an issue. There was something about the man's Chakra he found strange, almost familiar; yet he still couldn't place it. He noticed Fuu giving the man a few discreet looks as well but most of the time her face was unreadable so he had no idea if she felt the same or she was just naturally suspicious; he was inclined to believe the latter.

Finally they reached a small campsite set up in a clearing quite a way out of the town. It was fairly simple, a small tent that looked like it could house two people at the most and a small but cosy fire enclosed by a ring of rocks. He could hear a stream not too far off which would explain the pot of stew hanging over the fire, happily boiling away. In all it looked like the kind of camp you could tear down or set up on a few minutes' notice; faster if you were a ninja.

"Eh, it's not much but make yourself at home." Naruto looked up at the man as he walked to the other end of the fire, peering into the pot to check on what was probably his dinner. The blonde wasn't sure what to think but he was anything but rude so quickly made himself comfortable on a small log that seemed to be there for the express purpose of sitting, Fuu quickly joining him in the spot besides him. His cheeks flushed a slightly darker hue at how close her body was pressed up against his but he said nothing.

"So, how can we help you Roushi-san?" The red-haired man smiled congenially at the pair as he leaned back from the pot of simmering stew.

"Eh, don't bother with the whole honorific crap, you'll make me feel like that old bastard." With that he smiled pleasantly, seemingly satisfied with the stew as he ladled it out into three bowls he procured from seemingly nowhere. Of course Naruto's eyes had seen him unseal them from a pouch beneath his purple kimono but it was almost so fast he missed it, impressive indeed.

"Alright then Roushi." The redhead just nodded once happily before handing the two the bowls of stew, quickly digging into his own like he hadn't eaten in weeks; given his bulky frame though Naruto found that unlikely. He was already finished before Naruto had finished his first mouthful, smacking his lips appreciatively in a way that told Naruto he wasn't exactly used to company.

"Ah, nothing like some warm stew at night to keep the chill away." Naruto just nodded his quiet agreement as he continued to sip at the admittedly delicious meaty broth. Somehow Fuu managed to keep her expression completely blank even as she ate, although a healthy colour had invaded her cheeks as her body unconsciously reacted to the warm meal.

"So, what are two Jinchuuriki doing wandering in this part of Tsuchi no Kuni?" Naruto swore if he hadn't had years of training in a monk's temple he might have immediately spit out a good portion of the stew he had just taken into his mouth. He envied Fuu for her ability to never show any emotion if she didn't want to; she merely continued to demurely sip at her own meal, the only indication she heard anything being her hands tightening slightly. The redhead had to chuckle at their reactions even though he had hoped for something more along the lines of shock.

"Eh, don't worry about it, we're all in good company here." He said it so nonchalantly as he reached for the ladle to the pot again, obviously going for seconds; it made Naruto wonder how much he normally ate or if he was expecting visitors before returning his thoughts to the right track. Suddenly it clicked as his eyes widened slightly; not enough to reveal his Rinnegan but enough that people who knew him well enough would know meant he had a revelation.

"Which one?" Roushi looked up from his second serving with humour glinting in his eyes, a small smirk playing at his lips behind the bowl.

"Eh, I guess as the host it's only fair." He stood up with an extravagant and over the top bow that somehow didn't spill a single drop of his meal. "I'm Roushi, Jinchuuriki of the Yonbi no Saru." He smiled as his hand did a small flourish that wouldn't have looked out of place in a royal court. Naruto was about to answer in kind when the redhead simply raised a hand, looking at them appraisingly. "No need, let me guess." His hand moved to his chin as he stroked his beard thoughtfully, eyes flickering over the pair like an auctioneer might treat an antique.

"Nanabi, correct?" He made sure to look directly at Fuu as he talked, so as not to miss the slightly surprised look that entered her eyes, her posture not shifting in the slightest. However when he looked at Naruto a frown overcame his features, his gaze becoming more penetrating even as his eyes darted off occasionally, as if his mind was elsewhere. "The Kyuubi, right?" His voice seemed more hesitant at that, lacking the confidence of his statement to Fuu.

"So how does Iwa know so much about us?" Naruto kept his tone light but he was already slowly shifting his Chakra about in case he had to rapidly leave with Fuu. There weren't exactly many ninja who could react before he had a chance to raise his arm. However his concerns were unfounded as the heavy-set redhead leaned back, letting out a jovial chuckle before quickly returning to his stew as if the tension in the air wasn't palpable.

"Eh, don't get so worked up kid. I know because that's what the big guy in my gut's telling me, my connections with Iwagakure are pretty loose. Hell, I'd probably leave if it weren't for Han..." His eyes drifted for a moment in thought before he shook himself out of it, returning to his meal to cover up his small hesitation. Naruto just watched him with a critical eye, cautiously eating his food; from the way Roushi was eating it couldn't be poisoned, not that there were many poisons that could actually work on a Jinchuuriki anyway.

"So what's your interest in us?" Roushi looked up, only briefly pausing with the bowl at his lips with a decidedly amused expression.

"Eh, me? Nothing; I only watched that little brawl you had in the alleyway because I was bored. I might have stepped in if they had gone too far..." A smirk alighted on his face as he drained the last of his dinner in a loud slurp. "... but that wasn't necessary in the end was it?" He made a pointed look at Naruto who simply shrugged, a congenial look of his own on his tempered features as he drank at the stew more sedately.

"Eh, it was a stupid reason to fight anyway." The man leaned back on his log, placing the bowl to one side as he looked up, a wistful expression marring his features. "Not that there are any good reasons to fight." Naruto said nothing at that but the smallest of frowns appeared over his brow. "I mean sure you look like the Yondaime Hokage but it's hardly grounds to lynch you." Naruto simply shrugged off-handedly , he had made that exact same point only half an hour ago.

"So you don't hate the Yondaime Hokage?" Roushi looked down from his sky-gazing, catching the blonde's eye as the man looked at him with that same piercing gaze. It made Naruto wonder if it was something all veteran Shinobi could do; it certainly felt like those times with Ao.

"Probably not, most people in Iwa forget that the old bastard probably killed just as many Konoha Shinobi; the Flash just happened to do all of his in one go." At seeing Naruto's raised eyebrow the redhead clarified. "I mean the Sandaime Tsuchikage, Ryoutenbin no Oonoki ." He followed up with a few muttered phrases that Naruto couldn't hear and felt he didn't particularly want to. "But nah, I guess I don't hate him; if anything I respect the man." Naruto looked up at him in surprise; he may have been pretty ignorant of a child but the fact that Iwa and Konoha hated each other with a passion was not lost on him even then.

"Eh, don't look so surprised, the man had a flee on sight order for a reason, even us Jinchuuriki weren't exempt. Hell, the only one who could probably have stood against him was the old bastard himself." He sighed wearily, returning his gaze to the sky as his mind obviously drifted back to older, but not necessarily pleasant, memories. "I'm just glad that the war ended before that could have happened, two people like that fighting..." He whistled appreciatively as he absently threw a piece of wood onto the dwindling fire. "... they would have re-modeled the landscape." Roushi wasn't even exaggerating, with the destruction caused by Jinton and the speed of the Hiraishin, no battlefield would have been the same after a conflict of that proportion.

"I actually saw him once, Minato Namikaze." The redhead stared wistfully into the fire, none of the previous mirth in his eyes or voice as he watched the flames dance beneath the hanging pot. It was like Naruto and Fuu weren't even there any more and he was lost in his memories; it was strange because Naruto wouldn't have placed him over forty yet he spoke like an old man. "Right after he slaughtered an entire battalion of troops in a few seconds. I was part of the re-enforcements but when we got there the entire battlefield was covered in blood and bodies." His eyes gained a haunted look as he remembered that sight that would never leave him.

"He stood there in the middle of it all, one of those kunai he was so famous for clasped in one hand. He just turned to look at me, his eyes were so full of sadness. It might have been a trick of the light, or my own shock at the time, after all the man was pretty famous at the time but this was the event that solidified his reputation, but I could have sworn I saw his hands tremble." Suddenly his head snapped up, as if he had just remembered that he had company. The haunted, wistful look on his face vanished without a trace as it was replaced by a softer smile.

"Eh, but you don't need to listen to my ramblings, little Kuro-chan tells me often enough that they're boring." He looked up, almost amused, as his fingers came up to absently stroke his beard. "Huh, I guess she probably isn't so little anymore." Just a brief flash of sadness flickered across his features at that before it was gone. "I guess I just need an outlet for all the stories I've got pent up in my head, what with me having no family to bore with them." He smiled sadly at the pair who simply returned it with a sympathetic smile and a more neutral, but understanding look.

"Actually, that was very interesting; it must be rare to hear the first-hand accounts of a veteran." Naruto smiled amicably as he finished his bowl of stew, gently placing it down beside him. "I feel honoured." At that Roushi just chortled, leaning down to rest his hands on his knees.

"Kid, the less you hear about war the better, especially with the shit I've been through." Naruto's smile took on a sad twinge at that but he covered it remarkably well; it didn't escape Roushi's notice though bringing the whole campsite into a stifling silence. Fuu could only sit there quietly, her gaze drifting between her blonde companion and the other Jinchuuriki. She had no idea what to do in situations like these to break the tension and just sat there, quietly eating her stew as the awkward silence prevailed. Finally though, Roushi straightened up, fixing Naruto with a still warm, but more curious look.

"So kid, want to tell me why your Chakra signature is so confusing? I can feel Son Goku having a small fit inside me as he tried to figure you out. He keeps telling me he can feel more than two of his kind in you two, but that's impossible and I can't sense anybody but us nearby." Naruto's eyebrow rose slightly as he wondered by what means Roushi could sense people.

"So you talk with your tenant? You have a good relationship then?" The red haired man's eyes narrowed slightly as the blonde re-directed the question but answered nevertheless.

"Eh, I can't boast perfect control like the Kumo Jinchuuriki can, but yeah me and Son Goku have a dialogue at least. He's not exactly the easiest guy to get along with and he's prideful as all hell but in the end, you live with somebody for over fifty years you learn to either hate them completely or at least tolerate them." Naruto chuckled at that, he could certainly relate in that sense; it seemed the Yonbi, or Son Goku, was quite similar to the Kyuubi in a way. However Roushi's gaze was now firmly fixed on Naruto as the younger blonde struggled for an answer.

"Well I guess you could say I'm special, you see-" he was cut off as Roushi raised an hand, waving it dismissively as he rubbed his beard with his other hand.

"Actually, I've got a better way, come on, your girlfriend can join in too." With that hi simply raised a fist out in a way Naruto recognised from Kirabi and the blonde looked at it confusedly. Roushi just looked at the two of them expectantly before Naruto hesitantly raised his own hand to complete the fist bump, Fuu gently nudging her own hand in from the side. Naruto was about to comment about what they were doing when he suddenly felt a tug in his consciousness like the times when he meditated to enter his seal.

* * *

When Naruto opened his eyes again, not remembering closing them, he found himself in a large white expanse with no discernible edges or landmarks. The only notable thing was the fact it seemed to get darker the further away he looked. Suddenly he realised he wasn't alone; it was a strange sensation as he understood that the others had been there all along but it was like he hadn't been able to notice them before now. He found out soon enough when he heard a deep and decidedly ominous growl reverberate beneath him.

"**I suggest you remove yourself from my head Ningen before I decided to simply swallow you, as much as it would degrade me to eat one of your wretched kind again." **Naruto looked down only to see an expanse of orange fur that was surprisingly course for how soft it appeared from afar. Quickly jumping down off the Kyuubi's head he noticed that it wasn't just the two of them; Shukaku, Matatabi, and Isobu were also there, although the latter was still somehow unconscious.

"Where are we?" Naruto found his voice surprisingly calm given that there were no bars between him and the Kyuubi and the giant fox didn't look to be all that pleasant today. The fox grunted as he looked around, seemingly looking for something as his shrewd red eyes pierced through the blank, monotonous world.

"**It would appear Son Goku's container has drawn us into the Seishin Sekai." **It was Matatabi who spoke, sounding as sleepy as a giant beast of cerulean flame could, languidly stretching out while eyeing the Kyuubi carefully. Luckily the fox didn't seem to be in a mood to move or attack his fellow Bijuu, content for now to simply lie there and glare angrily at nothing. **"It is kind of shared world we Bijuu, and by extension our Jinchuuriki, can enter to communicate" **The Kyuubi snorted at that but didn't look in their direction. **"Although we haven't used it in centuries, it requires us to be relatively close or, in the case of the Jinchuuriki, to be touching." **Naruto noticed Shukaku seemed surprisingly quiet; in fact he had been as of late but he didn't question it.

"Naruto!" Naruto turned towards the voice he knew to be Fuu's; it appeared from nowhere accompanied by a loud and rather obnoxious buzzing. Suddenly, as if they had walked through some invisible doorway, Fuu and the Nanabi melted into existence near them, giving Naruto his first glimpse of the Nanabi no Kabutomushi. It wasn't quite what Naruto would have expected from a Bijuu, mainly due to the fact it didn't actually have seven tails.

It was an oddly mismatched creature, reminding him of a cross between a rhinoceros beetle and a glow worm with its blue visor-like face and bright yellow abdomen. The most noticeable thing though were the six large, bright yellow wings that fanned out behind it, emerging from the base of its body in a way that you wouldn't immediately think would allow it to fly. The final 'tail' actually was one, a long and thin, spindly appendage that flailed behind it as it hovered, buzzing almost excitedly.

"**It's been a long time brothers, sister." **The Nanabi's voice had a distinctly buzzing quality, as if it was trying to speak through a fan; yet at the same time, in that same strange way as Matatabi, Naruto couldn't help but think its voice sounded somewhat feminine. Also strangely, the giant insect had a strange, uplifting lilt to its voice, far more cheerful than he had seen any of the other Bijuu, except maybe Shukaku but the Nanabi definitely lacked his insane qualities, probably for the better.

"**Yes, so many of us have not gathered together since the passing of Father." **A new deep booming voice that was intimidating, but not on the level the Kyuubi could muster, made itself heard. Everybody besides the fox, who was more content to simply glare at everything as if he would rather be anywhere but here, turned to look at the newcomers. Riding in on an enormous red-furred gorilla with four thick tails was Roushi, seemingly perfectly at ease as he casually stood atop a Bijuu's head.

"Greetings again Naruto, Fuu." The older Iwa-nin inclined his head politely at the two as they ddid the same, Naruto taking the opportunity to notice that Fuu was also riding atop the head of her respective Bijuu, although she did not look nearly as comfortable doing so.

"**So would anybody care to tell me why I was dragged into this horrendous meeting of some of my least favourite beings on this earth?" **The Kyuubi seemed to make an effort to keep his voice decidedly bored and apathetic but it still carried an edge of irritation. All of the Bijuu simply stared at the fox and he gladly glared back at each and every one of them, even Isobu, even though he was still unconscious.

"**Please, you hate everybody." **Again Naruto noted the strange distorted affect the Nanabi's voice had; in a way it was oddly calming; it helped its tone was very upbeat.

"**I fail to see your point insect." **The Nanabi huffed irritably at that, although it came out more of an agitated buzz, like when you disturb a hornets' nest.

"**Still arrogant as ever Kyuubi?" **Son Goku's voice had an incredible booming quality, catching everybody's attention instantly; except the Kyuubi's of course but that was to be expected. Naruto also took notice that none of the Bijuu would refer to the Kyuubi by his real name, whatever it was. Although from the intense glares the great fox kept sending everybody and the way his tails swayed ominously behind him, he couldn't blame them.

"**And you all are just as pitiful as I remember." **With that the fox lay his head down on his paws, apparently done with the conversation and his fellow Bijuu in general. He must not have had a choice in being within the shared plane or Naruto had the feeling he would have left already.

"**You are insufferable fox! Just because you have more tails does not make you superior to us!" **At that the Kyuubi cracked open one very large and very irritated red eye, making sure to point it directly at Son Goku. He had successfully gotten Matatabi and to a lesser extent Shukaku to stop talking to him in any manner out of fear; he could do the same to the giant monkey.

"**Do you wish to challenge me Yonbi?" **Strangely his voice held no immediate anger but it still had a deep, growling, menacing quality that made everybody else tremor slightly, besides Naruto who was used to it and the Nanabi due to it being the closest in terms of power to the Kyuubi. Bravely, or foolishly the Yonbi held its ground, obviously not very appreciative of the name the Kyuubi had chosen to call him.

"**Are you so full of pride that you believe you could defeat all four of us?" **Naruto felt the large simian was purposefully leaving out the Sanbi due to its incapacitated state. The Kyuubi merely snorted, closing his eye dismissively as he continued to ignore everybody.

"**You are right, it would not even be worth my time; you would be crushed like the paltry beings you are beneath my tails." **A low growl emerged from Son Goku's throat but he made no move to do anything; he may have been an arrogant and prideful being but that in no way meant the Kyuubi could not back up his words. There was a reason the great fox was seen as a being comparable to a walking natural disaster; its power eclipsed even the next strongest of the Bijuu. Even now he was the largest thing in this strange white world by a great margin, even the Nanabi just couldn't compare.

"**Maybe it would be best to simply leave the Kyuubi to his rest?" **For the first time since coming into this world Matatabi spoke up, her voice oddly timid for a being of such immense power. She realised that she had provoked the Kyuubi plenty during their meetings lately and now there were no bars between the two of them. It wasn't like the other Bijuu would readily come to her aid, except the Nanabi who was a sort of peace maker in the group, and possibly Shukaku if Naruto told him to. However even their combined power paled in comparison to the fox.

"**Ah, so you never did manage to grow a spine then Matatabi?" **The flaming cat hissed slightly at Son Goku but ultimately looked submissive. Unlike others she knew what her place was; with Shukaku too insane to notice or care she might as well have been the weakest of the Bijuu. Sometimes even Shukaku made up for his lesser Chakra with his sheer difficulty to be hurt and the way he would madly rush into combat like a berserker

"**Anyway, I assume there is more to this gathering than simply catching up?" **The Nanabi's voice suddenly cut in, always the peacemaker, despite her hating the position due to the arguments between such powerful beings it put her in. The worst had been an argument between the Hachibi and the Kyuubi that she thought she was actually going to be destroyed in. Luckily not long after that the Bijuu had gone their separate ways in the world and they had never come to an actual fight.

"**Speaking of which, where are the containers of Shukaku, Matatabi, and Isobu? I do not detect them anywhere nearby." **Son Goku's voice had calmed slightly but he was still sending venomous looks towards the currently placid fox.

"That would be me." Suddenly Naruto found everybody's gaze squarely on him; it was a little unnerving given that besides Roushi and Fuu, the others were all beings of incomprehensible power. He weathered the critical stares of the Nanabi and Yonbi though until both gasped as he opened his eyes.

"**How is this possible? How does this Ningen have Father's eyes!" **Surprisingly this came from the Nanabi who had immediately hovered closer to Naruto, trying to peer closer into his eyes despite their rather large scale difference. To help he hovered a little ways off the ground, only adding to the large insect's wonder. **"He even possesses Father's powers!" **For a moment the Nanabi's voice sounded almost childlike in her awe, her visored face continuing to stare at Naruto rather invasively. The growl emanating from the Kyuubi's throat went mostly ignored, although Isobu stirred slightly.

"Hi, I'm Naruto Uzumaki." The great insect Bijuu nodded slowly, still entranced by the swirling ripple pattern that had been such an important focus in her young life.

"**I am Choumei." **Finally the Nanabi seemed to snap out of her self-induced trance as she leaned back, forcing Fuu to grab the horn on her head to stop herself being thrown off. **"But you can call me lucky number seven if you want!" **Naruto blinked at that, wondering just who had called Choumei that... ever.

"A pleasure to meet you Choumei, Son Goku." The large insect bristled at that, a shudder running down her wings; she hadn't been called by her name in far too long. A loud huff echoed from behind them as eyes turned to Son Goku, staring at the much smaller blonde appraisingly.

"**So you go around wielding the eyes of our father, the most powerful Ningen to ever live? What makes you worthy of such an honour?" **Naruto smiled in what he hoped was a placating manner; he could see this was a rather touchy subject for the large primate.

"Nothing, I do not deserve to have such power nor have I earned the right to wield these eyes." Many of the Bijuu blinked in surprise at the brutally honest and at the same time incredibly humble answer, even the Kyuubi cracked open a single eye in interest for a brief moment. "But hopefully I can use their power for something that will make me worthy." He smiled brightly as he floated higher into the air until he was eye level with most of the Chakra creatures. "Because my dream, my goal is to bring peace to the world, and that includes the Bijuu. I wish to take the hate that has been placed on you over the years and help you find freedom." Silence resonated through the blank space as everybody stared at him. His voice sounded powerful, echoing through the empty plane as everybody's eye were firmly fixed on him.

"**And this is why you have made yourself the Jinchuuriki of four of us? A feat that would have seen any other Ningen burned from the inside out? How do we know you aren't simply like the rest of your deceitful kind, using us for our power to fill that insatiable hole all humans have in their heart for power?" **Naruto smiled softly at the Yonbi, it seemed the Kyuubi wasn't the only Bijuu with a deep-seated resentment towards Humanity.

"You can't know, and nothing I say now could prove you wrong anyway. But I promise you that I will do everything in my power to lift the hatred from this world. And I never go back on my promises!" Again his voice rang out strongly, captivating even the other Jinchuuriki in the shared mental space. Finally it was Nanabi who broke the silence that had overcome the area again.

"**You are an interesting Ningen; from what brief glimpses of the world I get through Fuu-Chan I see you are kind and strong." **Then the Nanabi, the third strongest being in perhaps the entire world, did something nobody expected. The enormous winged beetle bowed its head forward subserviently, if it had a mouth then a small smile would be playing across it; instead it released a happy but anxious hum. **"I am willing to place my faith in humanity one last time, in remembrance of our father whose dream so closely matched your own." **Naruto just blinked in shock, suddenly feeling incredibly self-conscious of the enormous weight that had placed itself upon his shoulders with her words.

"**As do I." **Matatabi adopted a similar pose, bowing her flaming head towards Naruto, only increasing that feeling of weight pressing down on him.

"**Yeah, Shukaku will help Father because Shukaku wants Father's dream to come true!" **Naruto felt himself breathing faster as the large sand construct also bowed his head, although it appeared to unbalance the Ichibi slightly making the gesture seem rather clumsy. His eyes flickered to the Yonbi, not quite knowing what to expect from the giant ape as it stared at him with the same appraising look Roushi had before.

"**I will never bow to a mere child." **Naruto felt himself deflate slightly at the words but it appeared So Goku was not finished. **"However I have never seen one move my siblings in such a way since our father's passing. You are certainly an interesting Ningen and for now I will place what little faith I have in your measly race upon your shoulders." **With that it huffed in a manner reminiscent of the Kyuubi whenever he had to salvage his pride after saying something not completely hostile or malicious.

"**It was nice to meet you Naruto-kun, take care of Fuu-chan for me!" **Naruto watched as the Nanabi faded away, waving one of her spindly arms at him rather happily. The Yonbi soon faded as well, just leaving Naruto with the four Bijuu he knew so intimately until they too vanished. Naruto sighed wistfully as he looked around, he suddenly felt very heavy as he dropped to the floor. His eyes were wide with wonder, not quite believing all of that had just happened. Eventually though his vision started to fade away as his consciousness slipped from the shared realm.


	36. Earth III

**Digi doesn't own Naruto; that isn't cool at all.**

* * *

**Sage**

_"Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.__" – Frederick Douglas_

* * *

It was already late by the time the three Jinchuuriki woke up from the Seishin Sekai so Roushi graciously allowed the two to stay in his camp for the night. Naruto had sensed no malicious feelings or underhanded schemes from the man so he accepted. Luckily his impressions seemed to be correct and when they woke up the next morning nothing seemed out of place. In fact they had woken up at first sunlight while Roushi seemed more than content to snore away the morning, looking to have no plans on waking up any time soon.

Naruto and Fuu amused themselves by discussing what had happened the previous night. Fuu especially seemed troubled by it all; meeting the Nanabi was an eye-opening experience for the mint-haired girl. She still vividly remembered the malice and hatred she could feel, and had to control, when she used the Bijuu's Chakra shroud. To see the rather happy and exuberant Choumei shook that ingrained image she had of violent and merciless Bijuu. She actually felt a shred of guilt at so callously using the Nanabi's Chakra without her permission, feeling like a thief.

Naruto had reassured her that he would teach her a method of meditation so the two could communicate better. After all, one of his mantras was that understanding is the basis for any healthy relationship and the first step at erasing, or at least healing hatred. So the rest of the morning, up until Roushi awoke, Naruto had been teaching Fuu how to lose herself to her inner subconscious via meditation. They had been making good progress before a certain sleepy redhead interrupted them, mumbling about breakfasts and unruly Bijuu.

Finally, when the trio had finished their breakfast of leftover stew, something Roushi seemed perfectly content with but left Naruto and Fuu a little green, everybody seemed awake enough to hold a conversation. Naruto and Roushi were sitting across from one another, staring over the dying embers of the small campfire while Fuu was off to one side, her eyes closed in concentration and her legs crossed in a decent attempt at a meditative pose.

"So kid, now that the morning's begun properly I guess we have things to talk about." Naruto had to suppress a sweat-drop from making itself apparent on his forehead. It was nearly eleven o'clock and Roushi only now considered the morning having begun? He had a feeling the man and his Sempai would not get along all that well.

"What would you like to start with?" Naruto was all for talking, Roushi had proven himself somewhat reliable in the short time they had known him and he had a good relationship with his tenant which was a plus in Naruto's eyes. As long as what they talked about didn't endanger anybody Naruto cared about, like his fellow monks at the temple or Fuu, of course.

"Eh, how about those fancy eyes of yours? I've heard of the Rinnegan before but only as a legend." Naruto nodded, that was understandable enough considering the last bearer lived around a millennia ago. Plus, with the Uchiha being wiped out to near-extinction and the Hyuuga rarely leaving Konoha for long, it wasn't often people got to see one of the legendary three Doujutsu anymore.

Yes Naruto had heard about the Uchiha massacre, it was big news in the temple at the time, just as it had been across the entire elemental nations. At the time he had felt a grim satisfaction at the news, the memory of those Sharingan eyes too deeply set in one of his worst memories. However over time he had found himself appalled at the thought he was happy with the extinction of an entire clan. The ones who had murdered Teuchi and Ayame had met their swift justice at his own hands, or eyes as it were, and he shouldn't shift his stigma to the rest of their clan. Of course that didn't stop the Kyuubi from rejoicing in his own menacing way when he had heard the news; it was the first and only time he had seen the great fox smile in a non-menacing way.

"I guess that's a good enough place to start. I'm not going to tell you anything of my abilities but I'll tell you that I awakened them when I was young and I am unable to deactivate them." Roushi just nodded thoughtfully; the boy's reservations about revealing his power were understandable, even if it didn't sate his curiosity.

"Eh, so where exactly are you from kid? Last I heard the Kyuubi was safely locked away in Konoha. I can only assume that you were his Jinchuuriki first?" Naruto nodded quickly, wondering how the man could know that but letting it slide for now. Roushi had already revealed indirectly that he was incredibly shrewd when he needed to be, sometimes making eerily accurate observations based on very little evidence.

"Yes, I was originally from Konohagakure no Sato but shortly after awakening the Rinnegan I lived at the Fire Temple where they helped me understand my power. At the time I was unaware of what I held but certain circumstances opened my eyes to it." He wasn't going to tell anybody about Sora, the boy didn't need that kind of attention; after all, psuedo-Jinchuuriki were as sought after as the real thing. Kinkaku and Ginkaku were excellent example of just the kind of Shinobi they could grow to become.

"Alright then, what about the others? You've certainly been busy. If I'm right the Ichibi is from Suna, the Nibi is Kumo's and the Mizukage of Kirigakure was the Jinchuuriki of the Sanbi last I checked." Roushi wouldn't admit it but the power that would suggest in the boy frightened him to no end. Jinchuuriki were some of the closest guarded secrets any hidden village had, especially Kumo who went to extreme lengths to keep them safe. The fact that this boy might have been the one to take down a Kage, as he saw no other reason why he would be the one to hold the Sanbi, was equally unsettling.

"I travel a lot and things... tend to happen around me." Naruto sighed at that, he wished he was exaggerating but if he didn't know any better it was like Inari the deity himself was following him around, purposefully tipping the scales against him. "If it helps though the method I used to extract the Bijuu doesn't harm the Jinchuuriki." In fact it actually gave them a rather large boost in their Chakra reserves due to the influx of Chakra leaving their body stretching their pathways and coils. It would worsen their control quite a bit but nothing more training couldn't fix given time and as he had seen with Gaara their Bijuu-given abilities remained with them.

"So you could extract Son Goku from me without me dying?" Roushi's voice was more curious than actually suggestive but Naruto couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the older man. From what he had gathered the two shared a good relationship, even if they didn't always see eye to eye due to the Yonbi's pride.

"Would you want me to?" Roushi sighed heavily, probably the most negative thing the blonde had seen from the older Jinchuuriki.

"Eh, I'm gonna level with you kid, I'm pretty old. I may not look it but I'm fifty-six and I've seen far too much in my lifetime. I'm probably the oldest living Jinchuuriki and trust me when I say it weighs heavy on your shoulders after this long. I haven't seen the village I was raised in for over a decade and I've been wandering around Tsuchi no Kuni like a hermit for even longer." Another weary sigh escaped his lips as he leaned down so his elbows rested on his knees. "I'm tired, and old, and soon enough they're going to recall me to the village so they can switch Son Goku into a fresh young Jinchuuriki and start all over again." He snorted derisively at that and Naruto couldn't help but share the sentiment quietly.

"I don't want to condemn some poor kid to a life like that; hated and ostracised for something that he has no control over." He looked up with a small smile that, for the first time since Naruto had met him, reached his eyes. "With you here, and what you can do, then I don't have to. You said your goal is to free the Bijuu right? Then I can bring you one step closer to that and at the same time my burden is relieved." He chuckled to himself as his eyes gained that far off melancholic look. "Maybe I could go visit little Kuro-chan again." He quickly shook himself back to reality with a warm smile aimed at Naruto.

"What do you say?" Naruto just blinked in surprise before a smile of his own made its way onto his face.

* * *

It was the next day and the atmosphere was light as Naruto and Fuu said their farewells to Roushi. The older redhead was already in the process of packing up his camp as the duo began to leave, the tent was disassembled and the fire was doused. Before they went much further though Naruto felt a hand on his elbow, pulling him back. Roushi had him by the arm but wasn't looking at him, instead fiddling with a pouch underneath his kimono before victoriously pulling out a small scroll and handing it over to the blonde.

"I almost forgot, your friend mentioned you were looking for earth manipulation techniques. I wrote down what I knew here plus a few notes to make it a bit easier on you." He smirked as he patted the smaller blonde on the back before grinning, "It's the least I could do for you." Naruto just nodded thankfully, a smile of his own on his face as he walked away, waving all the while to the strange but kind redhead. He caught up with Fuu who had been waiting for him further along the forest path and after briefly explaining what Roushi had wanted she simply nodded and they continued.

As they walked Naruto found his mind wandering onto the scroll in his hand, earth manipulation as the last of the elements he had to master. He wondered if anybody else had ever attempted to master all five of the elemental transformations, except for the original Sage. However soon his mind drifted from even that as he began to think about Chakra itself, the concept that had eluded him ever since he had begun this journey.

"Naruto." He sighed wistfully as he thought about all the things he had learnt on his journeys. So many questions had been answered over time but even more had been raised as a result.

"Naruto?" He struggled to think why Chakra could take on the properties of an element and how an energy could even change like that. The slight headache that throbbed dully in the back of his head wasn't exactly helping his concentration.

"Naruto?!" It got him thinking about the problem that Matatabi had brought up, the aspect he was missing in the Banbutsu Souzou she wouldn't reveal. She had said he had to understand the nature of Chakra to complete it but that was exactly the problem he was struggling with. Perhaps once he mastered the earth transformation he would gain some insight. He frowned as his head throbbed again, his vision beginning to blur heavily.

"Naruto!" Fuu caught the blonde quickly as he suddenly dropped like a puppet with its strings cut. She had noticed he was looking pale and he had begun to sweat despite the fact it was rather cool out but he seemingly hadn't heard her when she called him. Now he was lying in her arms, clearly unconscious with a pained expression on his face. The girl barely showed it but she was incredibly worried for her friend; she had never been sick, she had never seen Naruto get sick despite all the rain they had travelled through and as far as she knew Jinchuuriki couldn't get sick so she was rather helpless here.

She realised the two were rather exposed out in the middle of the path; bandits would be no problem to here but Shinobi were a different story. Fuu was confident in her abilities; it helped she was a Jinchuuriki and had recently come out of a war which definitely helped to hone her abilities. However a normal squad of Chuunin with a Jounin commander would probably be enough to make her access the Nanabi's Chakra and that would be enough to draw the attention of other Jounin in the area. This deep in Tsuchi no Kuni where they were closer to Iwagakure than the border, that would be a mistake.

Instead she grabbed Naruto under the arms, hoisting him somewhat to his feet and began to drag him off to the side, into the rather sparse forest that bordered the path. She tried to make it as comfortable as possible for the blonde but the way his body would occasionally convulse in pain made that rather difficult. She was glad he had taken to keeping his shakujou stuck to his back while they were walking outside of towns otherwise she would have had to leave it behind. She didn't think Naruto would be particularly happy about that when he woke up.

Finally reaching a decent place within the forest that gave her good lines of sight in all directions she lay Naruto down on the softest piece of grass she could find. He looked very pale now, his normally tan skin taking on a palid, unhealthy hue that was only worsened by the slight sheen of cold sweat covering his face. Occasionally his arm or leg would twitch as varying looks of pain crossed his sleeping features. When Fuu placed a hand against his forehead he was hot to the touch, probably much worse than a normal fever, not that she had much experience.

Deciding that the first thing she needed to do was to cool him down she quickly scouted out a nearby stream. She soaked a cloth and quickly ran back over to the blonde, placing it on his forehead. The difference was instant, Naruto's face calmed slightly, no longer appearing to be in agony and instead in mild discomfort, while his sporadic convulsions lessened. The mint-haired girl sighed in relief, wiping away some of the sweat that had accumulated on her own brow from her worry.

"What's wrong with you Naruto?" All she could do now was wait and hopefully deal with any symptoms as they arose; it wasn't her ideal solution but there wasn't much more she could do.

* * *

In comparison to the relatively peaceful atmosphere of the outside world, the space within Naruto's seal was in utter chaos. Pipes all over the labyrinthine corridors had burst or were leaking profusely, flooding the entire area with acrid, foul Chakra. It burned away at the ground, walls and anything else it came into contact with, causing even more damage to form on the pipes, perpetuating the cycle. Even deeper within the maze-like structure, the room that had now become octagonal with five cage doors occupying the walls was slowly filling with the water-like Chakra.

Right in the middle, almost peacefully floating atop the miasma of thick, virulent Chakra, was Naruto. He was clearly unconscious, much to the worry of some of his tenants watching on from within their respective Cages. The vile Chakra was even leaking into their cages, a testament to just how weakened the seal had become if the boundary between tenant and jailer had become so flimsy.

"**FATHER!" **Shukaku was worriedly pounding on the bars of his cell, desperately trying to awaken the slowly drowning blonde. He seemed uncaring that the water pooling around his lower body was slowly eroding away at his sandy body.

"**Naruto!" **Likewise Matatabi was doing her best to catch the blonde's attention before he became lost to them completely. At this rate it would actually be rather easy for the Bijuu to force their way out of their seal; they would of course have to wait to regenerate but Matatabi didn't want that to be at the cost of Naruto's life. The blonde had shown he genuinely cared about the Bijuu and she hadn't seen that since their father's passing.

"**What is wrong with the Ningen?" **Son Goku was watching curiously from his new cage; somewhat of an improvement compared to the far more shoddy seal that had contained him within Roushi. He turned to the Kyuubi's cage where the fox was also watching impassively, his red eyes narrowed at Naruto. Unlike the others who were now standing in the water leaking into their cage there was a small field around the Kyuubi that was completely dry; he refused to be touched by a human's Chakra; it was insulting.

"**The worthless Ningen has overstepped the limit of his weak body; he had not yet fully assimilated the turtle's Chakra before absorbing your own. It put far too much strain on him and sent his feeble mind into shock; this is the price he pays for his hubris in thinking the Sage's eyes would see him through any situation." **His words were cold and were practically a growl; in honesty he would prefer it if Naruto lived, reforming was a painful process and as the strongest Bijuu it would take him the longest out of the five of them. With the human alive there was still the chance of him being released or finding his own way out.

"**FATHER!" **The fox's words only added to Shukaku's hysteria as the tanuki frantically pounded the cell's bars. However even as weak as the seal had become he was nowhere near strong enough to cause any kind of damage. In fact out of all of them only Son Goku and the Kyuubi might have been able to break free, although the former didn't look to be doing anything and the Kyuubi looked less than interested in even moving.

"**What can we do?" **Matatabi herself had only grown more desperate; she could no longer hit the bars of her cells as the water had encroached on her cage too much and she was afraid of being weakened by her flames being doused. She still managed to see the penetrating gaze the Kyuubi sent her way, its open red eye firmly locked on her, silencing any other cries she might have had.

"**Be silent you miserable cat!" **With that the fox lazily moved one of its tails, hesitating for a moment as it swayed before the bars of his cells before pushing it between the gaps. Normally this would have been impossible for him but the seal had truly become a shade of itself without Naruto managing the enormous quantities of Chakra within himself. Briefly the fox's lips twitched and its eyes narrowed but he didn't make a sound.

Matatabi watched in awe as the long orange tail reached across the flooded room, the furs smoking slightly as if it were being constantly electrocuted. There was a reason the cells manifestation only needed to be bars; were the Bijuu to try and reach outside of the cage they would feel immense pain. She could only imagine how agonising it must be for the Kyuubi, especially using his tail which was the most sensitive part of a Bijuu.

Finally the smoking tail of Chakra reached where Naruto was floating in the water, his body dipping dangerously low and only his head not submerged. For a moment the Nibi thought the fox was going to skewer the boy on the tip of his tail, it certainly looked that way from how the Kyuubi was angling it, point down. However to her surprise the fox merely poked the boy on the forehead, gently even, in a way she would have never thought possible for the malicious being of destruction. There was a momentary flash of light before the water level in the room began to drop; slowly filtering away as the Kyuubi quickly retracted his tail, never once showing his pain.

"**Foolish Ningen." **The Kyuubi huffed before closing his eyes in distain, offended that he was forced to debase himself and save the pathetic human. The other Bijuu were simply in shock, if they hadn't known any better they would have sworn the Kyuubi just did something out of kindness, even though his demeanour said otherwise. Shukaku didn't seem to care either way but he at least seemed happy Naruto was no longer in any immediate danger. Sure enough when Matatabi looked back, shaking herself out of her shock. Naruto had disappeared from the seal.

* * *

Fuu had sat in that clearing watching over Naruto until the sun had set, sending the forest around her into a serene twilight that clashed horribly with the tumultuous feelings of worry in her chest. She had set up a fire to keep her and Naruto warm but there had been no change in his condition; if anything he seemed to get worse. She couldn't explain it but Naruto seemed to be sending out random pulses of Chakra at irregular intervals.

It worried her because sometimes she could feel the distinct pressure of Bijuu Chakra with the pulses. Even stranger though, once the Chakra pulsed out of his body, often accompanied by a small groan from the blonde, he seemed to subconsciously draw it back into his body with his Preta path. For that at least she was graceful as she couldn't be sure who might have noticed the copious amounts of Chakra he was just throwing off in his unconscious stupor. If she hadn't been there for herself she might have though a fight was taking place between two very powerful Shinobi.

Unfortunately for her she hadn't been the only one to notice this; these random bursts of unrestrained Chakra had managed to catch the attention of a nearby Shinobi patrol. In her worry over Naruto, and her senses being disrupted by the Chakra saturating the air around them she hadn't managed to notice them until they were practically in the clearing already. Quickly she found herself caught off guard by a pair Shinobi; she would have guessed Chuunin but it was hard to tell with her senses so distorted as they were.

"Huh, it's just two kids Kurotsuchi; are you sure this is what you felt?" Luckily the squad seemed confused themselves, looking at her and the unconscious blonde besides her strangely. The one who spoke was a rather hulking boy with a decidedly dumb expression on his confused face. He had a large, bulbous nose squished between his bloated cheeks that were red from the running he had obviously been doing. He wore a two-sleeved version of the usual Iwa uniform with a large yellow scarf and his forehead protector attached to a dull red bandanna.

"Shut it Akatsuchi, yes I'm sure I felt it coming from here. Stop questioning me and just... do something not completely moronic for once!" Fuu raised an eyebrow at the two's behaviour, from their names and mannerisms between one another she would have pegged them as siblings, however the two looked nothing alike. The one who seemed to be in charge was an older girl, maybe fourteen or fifteen, with short black hair and pupil-less pink eyes wearing fishnet leggings and the standard one-sleeved Iwa outfit.

"Uh, alright Kurotsuchi." With that the much larger boy whose age was indeterminable due to his improbable size, wandered off from the clearing. Kurotsuchi's eyebrow twitched violently but she did nothing to dissuade the boy from wherever he was going; she was obviously quite glad for the reprieve. When he was gone she turned her full attention to the younger girl who had moved closer to Naruto's side protectively.

"Alright, what's going on here? I felt Chakra being released in pulses from this location; who are you trying to signal?" Fuu just blinked; surprised the girl had been able to detect Naruto's Chakra for the short time it was outside of his body before shaking her head and realising the implications of the question.

"We weren't signalling anybody; my friend is ill and fell unconscious, I've just been waiting for him to wake up." Kurotsuchi raised a sceptical eyebrow at that but after taking a quick glance at Naruto it wasn't hard to see the boy was obviously unwell. His skin was pale and his breaths were coming out ragged and irregular. Occasionally she would feel a pulse of Chakra from his body only for it to disappear moments later as if returning to his body. However that seemed impossible to her unless he had some kind of Kekkei Genkai; that was the only thing that would do something like that without the boy being conscious.

"What's wrong with him?" Kurotsuchi got a strange feeling from the boy; she could practically feel the power just brimming beneath the surface and it unsettled her coming from such a young boy. The resemblance to the Yellow Flash, at least from what she had seen on pictures, was also noteworthy. But then again she presumed most spiky blonde haired boys with blue eyes would bear the same resemblance; he had the wrong facial structure anyway, too rounded.

"I don't know, he seemed pale as we walked and then he just collapsed." Kurotsuchi sighed; technically she was on patrol right now and secretly she was hoping to run into Roushi; they had been getting reports he was in this area lately. She didn't really feel like she had a lot of time to waste here, especially if it really was just two kids and not spies messaging their contacts like she had thought.

"Alright, let me take a look." She walked towards the unconscious boy but Fuu quickly moved in her way protectively leading Kurotsuchi to raise an eyebrow. "Look, I know a little medical Ninjutsu; nothing too advanced but enough to at least see what's wrong with him." Fuu frowned but moved out of the way nonetheless and allowed Kurotsuchi to crouch down next to him, her hand beginning to glow green. Slowly she moved it back and forth across Naruto's chest before letting it hover above his forehead, her face the picture of concentration.

"Huh, that's pretty strange." Fuu's face reflected nothing of her emotions but inside that simple phrase nearly sent her into a panic. "I've never seen anything like this; if I had anything to compare it to It would be the strain from Chakra exhaustion... except his reserves are full, more than full even; it's like he has more Chakra than his body can contain." Kurotsuchi went quiet as her face scrunched up in focus, the green glow around her hand intensifying. "Just who are you two anyway?" Blonde hair wasn't a common trait in Tsuchi no Kuni, which was probably a good thing, so she was curious about where this strange boy was from.

"Naruto is a monk on his pilgrimage and he rescued me so I am travelling with him." Technically what Fuu said wasn't a lie; she was missing out a great deal of the details though. Kurotsuchi allowed the glow around her hand to stop as she looked up, appearing somewhat tired from the technique.

"A monk, this kid? He barely looks twelve." Fuu simply shrugged leaving Kurotsuchi with her question unanswered. "Well anyway, sorry, I really have no idea what's wrong with him; I can't even tell if he'll wake up or not." She frowned as a thoughtful look appeared on her face, her eyes flickering between Naruto and Fuu. "There's a rumour I've heard that Tsunade of the Sannin is somewhere in the area; maybe you'll get lucky and run into her." Fuu widened her eyes at that; the legendary medic of the Densetsu no Sannin was in Tsuchi no Kuni? Seeing her confused look Kurotsuchi elaborated.

"It's the reasons patrols are so high in this area; while the woman's been off of Konoha's active Shinobi registry for years Jiji still feels uncomfortable leaving a Sannin roaming loose in the country." The girl sighed in irritation slightly. "As much as I hate to say it about a tree-hugger like her, her skills as a medic are still the best in the world, even Jiji says so. If your friend doesn't wake up soon maybe you should seek her out." Fuu nodded slowly; she had no idea how she might go about finding a Sannin but it was certainly worth a thought.

"Um, well I guess we should probably be going then." Kurotsuchi stood up looking around to try and see where her idiot partner went. "Sorry about your friend there, I hope he gets better." Fuu nodded her thanks; however just as Kurotsuchi was about to leave Naruto began to spasm on the ground, his body almost vibrating as he began leaking Chakra in droves. Fuu's eyes widened as she realised what was about to happen but by the time she opened her mouth to warn the other girl the ground around them exploded.

Fuu was sent flying back, using what grace she had as a Shinobi to flip mid-air and land firmly on the trunk of a tree, sticking there with Chakra. Kurotsuchi was less lucky as she hadn't been prepared for the sudden blast of unrestrained gravitational forces. Like Fuu she too was sent flying back, however she managed to hit a tree head first, severely dazing the Chuunin as she slumped the ground, vision swimming. Fuu dropped to the ground, marvelling at the ten foot crater now surrounding an obviously awake and vary confused Naruto who was rubbing his head. He looked around at the crater he was in before his eyes connected with Fuu's, blinking rapidly.

"Fuu? What happened? Where are we?"


	37. Earth IV

**Oh No, Digi doesn't own Naruto... what if Kishimoto decides to do something really stupid with the plot of Naruto, like making Sasuke suddenly want to become Hokage? What if the fans don't like it and lead a revolt on Kishimoto? What if that revolt turns into a civil war that eventually breaks out of Japan and into the world, sparking the third world war that no doubt blows up the world?!**

* * *

**Sage**

_"As I grow to understand life less and less I learn to love it more and more" – Jules Renard_

* * *

Naruto blinked blearily as he rubbed the back of his head, trying to quell the ache that had settled there. He looked around, ignoring the dull throb all across his body as he stared at the small crater around him. His eyes widened in horror as he remembered back to when he first awakened the Rinnegan, the memories of the destruction he had caused flashing across his vision. He quickly shook himself of it as he spotted Fuu watching him from across the clearing, her gaze flickering between him and something behind him.

"Fuu? What happened? Where are we?" He tried to stand but his searing muscles protested rather violently and all he got for his troubles was a rather embarrassing wobble as his legs gave out from under him. He groaned as a fresh wave of nauseating pain rushed through his body and when he looked up this time Fuu was already at his side, looking him over worriedly. He smiled at her concern before waving her off, this time using his shakujou to support him as he stood up, with slightly more success.

"Kurotsuchi!" The blonde looked around to see a rather large boy wearing the standard Iwagakure uniform rush over to a similarly dressed girl who was groaning next to a tree which bore a suspiciously head-sized dent in the trunk. He looked up to Fuu who had likewise looked at the two Iwa-nin before looking down at him with her usual expressionless look.

"Your wake up was rather... violent." Naruto just blinked before nodding at her curt explanation; he would get the whole story out of her later. For now he moved over to the two as quickly as he could which, unfortunately for him, wasn't all that fast. Every step had him gritting his teeth as it felt he was walking across hot coals; something he actually had experienced in when Chiriku went on one of his odd 'training' lessons.

"Are you alright?" The girl, or at least he assumed it was a girl from her facial features; the short black hair and rather boyish frame made it difficult to tell, managed to crane her neck up to look at him. Naruto was rather taken by her pupil-less pink eyes; like Fuu's they were rather exotic but he quickly shook his head of it as he looked down in concern.

"Uh." On Kurotsuchi's end she had looked up only for her bleary vision to feed her a rather odd sight; the fact her mind was particularly muddled from the blow didn't help much. She found herself looking up at a decidedly cute boy with sun-kissed blonde hair framed by the sun, giving him an almost saintly look; this was accentuated by the monk robes he wore and the staff he was leaning on. She found her eyes locked on his, even though from the way he was squinting she couldn't see what colour they were.

"Hehe, whiskers." She chuckled lightly, reaching up to poke at the boy's thin black birthmarks before reality crashed down on her, halting her hand a few centimetres from the blonde's now rather amused face. She snatched the offending limb back before standing up with all the grace she could muster as a proud Iwagakure Kunoichi. Unfortunately with a head injury that left her dizzy and disoriented that amounted to her suddenly tripping on her own feet, straight towards the surprised monk.

As she fell her eyes clenched shut, her mind already going through all the numerous jokes Akatsuchi would most definitely make at her expense after this. However after a few seconds went by and she didn't find her face firmly planted into the ground she tentatively opened them a crack. To her surprise Naruto was holding her up by her waist, a concerned look etched on his whiskered features that managed to put a hint of red on her cheeks despite the fact he was a few years younger than her.

Now looking at him, without her vision swimming and distorting everything she could see him quite clearly and the resemblance to the Yellow Flash was stronger than ever. She shook her head of it, refusing to acknowledge the fact she had wondered if he would grow up to be as handsome as the man before coughing indignantly and straightening out her clothing.

"Um, thanks for that." Naruto simply nodded pleasantly, his face still showing hints of concern for her; something that confused the girl considering she lived in Iwa where shows of emotion were considered weaknesses that could be exploited.

"Of course; you're not hurt are you?" Kurotsuchi bristled at the implication that she was injured, like she was that weak! Of course when she glared at him she found her angry rebuttal dying on her tongue and her features melting back into a look of hastily covered up confusion. For some reason she just knew that Naruto wasn't implying she was weak, he was just honestly concerned for her; this of course had her at a loss as she had only met the boy and as far as she knew he didn't even know who she was.

"Uh, no." It wasn't like she hadn't seen people concerned or her before; when she was on her Genin team her Sensei had often had that same look when she managed to injure herself training, Of course that was most likely due to the fact she was the 'honoured granddaughter of the Sandaime Tsuchikage'. Naruto's face switched to one of relief as he leant back slightly, once again leaning on his shakujou heavily.

"That's good; I wouldn't know what I would do if I had somehow injured you." Kurotsuchi nodded dumbly before her pride as a Kunoichi finally broke through her confused exterior.

"Of course! It would take way more than a stupid knock to the head to take me out!" She found her chest swelling at her own declaration but Naruto's look of quiet relief didn't change, he just nodded once with a small chuckle.

"Good, now if I may; just who are you two?" Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi just blinked once in surprise.

* * *

Naruto and Fuu were once again back on the road, the former looking much better than he had a few hours ago. It had taken liberal use of his Preta path but Naruto was now almost back to one hundred percent. It had taken a lot of explanation from both parties before the two pairs parted ways; Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi had to go back on patrol anyway. Once the misunderstanding had been cleared up and the two Iwa-nin understood Naruto had no control over his actions when he 'blew up' they were hesitant but allowed them to leave.

Kurotsuchi had been giving him odd looks as they talked, it was as if she was trying to figure out some incredibly difficult and ingenious puzzle, and was failing at it miserably. Akatsuchi on the other hand, after the whole ordeal had been cleared up and he realised his partner had not been attacked, proved to be a very jolly and friendly boy. Fuu had mostly remained out of the conversation like usual, only offering her take on events when prompted.

Now they were walking along a somewhat disused road in the heart of Tsuchi no Kuni in silence. Naruto was practising the first step of earth manipulation while Fuu was shooting him the occasional subtle glance from the corner of her eye. The exercise involved changing the properties of a stone, manipulating its form between hard rock and soft earth. The larger the stone and the quicker you could switch between the two forms, the greater your control; at least in theory. Naruto had quickly gotten to grips with the technique, easily manipulating small pebbles into loose earth using pure earth Chakra.

Changing the earth back into a solid rock however proved to be the challenging aspect. However his experience manipulating Shukaku's sand helped a great deal as the earth would not simply slip through his fingers as he could levitate it just above his hand. Fuu had been watching him to this for the past hour as they walked, her features growing more and more concerned with each passing minute until she felt compelled to speak up.

"Are you sure it is okay for you to be training so soon after recovering?" Naruto dropped the earth floating above his palm in his surprise; Fuu was normally very quiet when they travelled and rarely talked. It was something he wasn't uncomfortable with even though he enjoyed conversation as he appreciated the calm. He wiped off the shock and gave her a congenial smile as he picked up a new, slightly larger stone from the path, resuming the exercise.

"I'm alright Fuu, there's no need to worry about me; I'm fine." The words comforted Fuu slightly but did nothing to erase the concern etched on her features. A thought struck her as they walked; something that had been niggling at the back of her mind for a while now.

"Naruto, I would like to try and find Tsunade of the Sannin." Again the earth that was hovering above Naruto's outstretched palm wavered and fell from his control as he nearly tripped over his own feet. When he recovered he turned and looked at Fuu in surprise, mouth gaping slightly.

"What? Why?" Fuu almost giggled at his ungraceful display before righting herself as a sad frown overtook her features.

"Kurotsuchi mentioned she was in the area; I would like to find her and ask her for training." Naruto blinked and she took that as a sign to elaborate; after all she had sprung this rather out of the blue. "When you were lying there, unconscious I..." She looked down, shame written across her face as she refused to meet Naruto's eye. "...I felt so useless. There was nothing I could do to help you." She managed to look back up, a small smile tugging at her otherwise dejected face. "I don't want to feel that way again, so I want to find Tsunade and ask her to train me." Naruto nodded slowly as, unexpectedly, he pulled Fuu into a warm embrace.

"I understand." The girl was shocked at first; while a warm person Naruto was rarely the one to initiate intimate contact like this, at least with her. Tentatively though she wrapped her own arms around his back as he rubbed slow circles on hers gently. "I felt the same way with Shizuku; helpless, useless, unable to do anything as I watched her bleed out in my arms." She felt him tense slightly around her as her eyes widened in shock. Naruto hadn't spoken about Shizuku much since she had died; she hadn't realised he had actually watched her die.

"But why Tsunade?" He broke away from her, much to Fuu's disappointment as his warm body was replaced by the colder morning air. Fuu nodded hesitantly as she began to walk again, her head down in thought.

"If I am to learn medical Ninjutsu then I should try and learn from the best there is." Naruto sighed at that; it made sense but it didn't ease his concerns all that much. Tsunade was a Konoha Shinobi and as much as he had come to peace with his past in that village he was still wary to come across them again, even if she hadn't set foot in the village for longer than he had been alive.

"I suppose you're right, but how are we supposed to find her? And how do you intend to convince her to train you? I doubt she's going to say yes right away" Fuu kept her eyes straight ahead as they walked, the brisk morning air keeping her senses alert. That gave her pause for a moment, not having considered much more than simply finding her and asking for her training.

"How far does your ability to sense through water vapour go?" Naruto blinked before looking up in thought.

"Well passively when I stand still around two hundred and fifty metres but if I do it as a pulse it can go up to a kilometre but I only get a static image and the farther away the signature is, the more blurred and unfocused it becomes." Fuu nodded quickly as her pace quickened slightly.

"Then we can use that to find the largest Chakra signature in any towns we pass through; as a Sannin she would most likely be the most powerful one in the area." Naruto shrugged at the logic; technically it was sound but the chances of them being in the same town as the female Sannin were fairly slim. For all they knew she had already left the country; there was very little reason for even a former Konoha ninja to be in Tsuchi no Kuni for long.

"And how do you plan on getting her to agree to train you?" Fuu paused again, a frown overcoming her face; this was possibly the most expressive he had seen the mint-haired girl for a long time.

"I will deal with that when and if it comes." With that her pace quickened even more and Naruto could have sworn he saw the first hints of an excited smile come across her features. He simply sighed with a smile of his own and sped up to catch up with her; Fuu's enthusiasm was surprisingly contagious.

* * *

Of course a week without any success whatsoever would be enough to put a damper on anybody's enthusiasm, no matter the strength. The duo had gone from town to town, in no particular order, mostly just wandering in whatever direction took their fancy. Fuu had bought a small map she carried around and crossed out towns as they went. It wasn't entirely efficient as there was always the chance Tsunade could travel to a town they had already been to, as well as the ever-present possibility that she could leave the country all together.

So far they had visited eleven different towns over the course of the week, only stopping long enough to shop for whatever supplies they needed and to allow Naruto to try and sense out Tsunade. Normally his water vapour technique only allowed for a maximum of a few hundred metres but if he actually used hand seals to focus the Chakra he could sent out a large pulse of his own Chakra through the water vapour. It was too little to be picked up except by skilled sensor ninja but enough to give him an accurate static image of the land around him up to a kilometre.

He remembered the first time he had tried it, or more accurately remembered it from Yagura's stolen memories, something he was still getting used to. It was similar to using too many shadow clones; he received an enormous sensory overload as his mind tried to comprehend the information from an area two kilometres in diameter. He nearly blacked out then and there; however after a while of slowly increasing the range of the ability he was able to accustom himself to it.

So here they were, in the twelfth town they had visited, climbing up a hill that marked the centre of the urban area. At this point Naruto didn't have a lot of hope for finding Tsunade, although he had gotten a lot of practise in with the earth manipulation technique during the time they spent travelling. He was fairly confident he would be able to move onto the second stage soon which involved passing his hand into a boulder by punching it before pulling it out again, leaving the stone unmarred. He could see it would also be good for building up a tolerance for pain in the times one would fail, something Iwa-nin seemed especially fond of.

"Mizu Shoukai no Jutsu!" Quickly rushing through the hand seals Naruto prepared himself as a pulse of his Chakra burst from his body in every direction. There was a moment of delay before it all suddenly rushed back to him, making him wince as a model of the area built itself in his mind suddenly. "Urh, I don't think I'm going to get used to that." Fuu just stood to one side; this whole week she had been far more energetic than usual and it was refreshing compared to her normal stoic façade. However even her indomitable energy was slowly being worn down by the countless failed attempts.

"Why not have a shadow clone do it instead?" Naruto just sighed as he stood; he had already pinpointed the largest Chakra signature in the area, some ways to their south.

"I would still get the mental feedback, just delayed." Fuu nodded as they began to walk; it had almost become a routine for them in the past week; Naruto would perform his Jutsu, they would seek out the largest Chakra signature he could find and when they found it was not Tsunade they would go about shopping for supplies they needed and would quickly move on.

"Could you not use a different kind of clone?" Naruto quickly shook his head in the negative as they wound through the narrow streets of the town, entering a slightly seedier area filled with gambling dens and bars.

"I don't know any elemental clones and even if I did they are only a fraction of the power of the original. I suppose a water clone might be able to perform the technique but the strain would most likely dispel it. Although a few shadow clones around an area all simultaneously using the technique would form an excellent perimeter." The blonde nodded to himself as he walked; when the a clone dispelled due to detecting something the user would not only be alerted of the enemy's position but their strength, Chakra capacity and numbers as well. It was a good thing the shadow clone technique was a Konohagakure Kinjutsu or Yagura might have been even more powerful.

"They're in here." Naruto stopped outside of a rather normal, unassuming gambling den with a sign that clearly told passersby they offered alcohol as well. Naruto frowned at that; gambling was bad enough in of itself without making the patrons drunk as well. He couldn't imagine Tsunade of the Sannin would be in a place like this and was almost ready to simply leave when Fuu beat him to it and walked right in under the flaps.

"Oi you two, no kids allowed." Naruto ducked in after Fuu only to be greeted by a large portly man behind a grimy desk, pointing to sign that clearly said 'no minors'. Behind him was a corridor that had many doors leading off to what were no doubt gambling rooms. He could hear the tell-tale sounds of dice rattling in cups as well as the subsequent shout of victory or groans of defeat. Chou-Han was a fairly simply game; a certain number of dice would be placed in a cup and slammed down, the players would be if the total number of spots was even, Chou, or odd, Han.

Despite it being technically frowned upon the monks back at the temple used to have a small game of it every week where the monks could bet their chores for the coming week. After a while though Naruto had been banned from playing due to the fact he was absurdly lucky at the game. When he had complained Master Chukaku had simply told him he wouldn't become a very good monk if he never had any chores to do. At the time Naruto had just figured he was sore from losing; he still thought that now, albeit quietly.

"Excuse me, we aren't here to gamble; we're actually looking for somebody." The man seemed unimpressed by the young monk and equally young green-haired girl that had entered his establishment. He obviously didn't believe they had any money on them, therefore making talking to them pointless, even when there wasn't anybody else in the room.

"Sorry, can't give out patron names; now beat it Gaki." Naruto frowned slightly; this close he could feel the large Chakra signature through the water vapour in the air and could make out the vaguest shape of a woman. That didn't necessarily mean anything but he didn't want to simply walk away without checking first. He nodded once with that same frown marring his features and led a decidedly dejected Fuu from the building. They sat down on a bench on the other side of the street to wait for the woman to come out.

"Hey Fuu." The girl looked up; obviously having thought about how this would cut into their travel time if this one didn't turn out to be Tsunade.

"Yes?" Naruto kept looking at the gambling den, feeling ill at ease being around such a sleazy establishment.

"I had a thought." Fuu just nodded as she followed his gaze absently. "Do you know what Tsunade looks like?" The mint-haired girl just blinked for a moment before suddenly hanging her head. She did not in fact know what the legendary medic looked like. Due to the fact Konoha and Taki were allies, and the amount of time she had been inactive as a Kunoichi, Tsunade had been fairly low down in their priorities when it came to teaching her about famous Shinobi. Besides the fact she was a medic and had incredible strength she actually knew very little about the woman.

They sat there for another hour, mostly in silence as Fuu wallowed; Naruto tried to brighten her up but the conversations mostly turned awkward and left them right back in silence again. Finally though the Chakra signature Naruto had observed left the gambling den. It turned out to be a tall woman with long blonde hair, a few shades lighter than his own, pulled into two long pony-tails. She wore a small green haori with 'Gamble' written on the back in Kanji over a light grey kimono shirt and navy pants that matched the colour of her obi.

Of course Fuu's disbelieving eyes were fixed on something else, or more correctly two other things as her gaze flickered between the woman's bountiful chest and her own, far more modest bosom. Of course Naruto was up in a flash, the tell-tale sound of his shakujou jingling sounding out as he hurried to catch up with the woman as she turned the corner into the next street. Fuu's suddenly broke out of her jealousy-induced shock and chased after him, catching up just as the blonde addressed the woman.

"Excuse me." The woman paused for a moment, the woman next to her also turning. She was a shorter, thinner girl in her twenties with short, dark-brown hair that hung just above her shoulders. She wore a longer, navy kimono that stopped mid-calf, accentuated by a thick white trim and light blue obi atop a mesh shirt. Curiously she was holding a small pig that wore a maroon haori of its own as well as a pearl necklace that gave it a decidedly feminine appearance.

"Yeah, whaddya want Gaki?" The first woman had a slight slur to her voice, probably more than a little drunk if the smell of her breath was anything to go on.

"You wouldn't happen to be Tsunade Senju of the Densetsu no Sannin would you?" Naruto didn't actually hold out any hope that they had finally struck luck. In fact, if anything he wished they hadn't; to come all this way only to find that this drunken gambler was the legendary medic herself would be rather disappointing.

"And what if I am brat? We've got no business unless those cowardly debt collectors have started sending little monks to do their dirty work." Naruto sighed at that, correction; he hoped this drunken, _indebted, _gambler was not Tsunade Senju.

"I am not here because of any debts; I am merely seeking Tsunade out because my friend wanted to talk to her." The older blonde's ever so slightly unfocused eyes switched to Fuu and even in her inebriated state she could tell the lithe, built frame of a training Kunoichi. She turned to look at her companion, wobbling slightly from the alcohol as she gave a lopsided grin only partially returned by the more timid woman.

"Hey look Shizune, isn't that cute? A little fan-girl wanted to see me." She returned her focus to Fuu who at this point wasn't sure what to think of the woman before her. "What do you want, an autograph or something?" Naruto raised an eyebrow at that, wondering if this was actually Tsunade or some drunken woman hoping to play them.

"So you're really Tsunade Senju?" The woman swivelled on him, peering into his face closely for a moment with hazy green eyes.

"The one and only!" Naruto had to almost physically restrain himself from putting his face in his hands as the woman struck an absurd pose that exposed far more of her cleavage than was proper, practically shoving her chest in his face. It was moments like these that he was glad to be a monk so he could remain mostly unflustered by the inappropriate display. The woman behind Tsunade, Shizune if he heard right, seemed to echo his thoughts as she groaned lightly. Suddenly Fuu coughed into her hand lightly and all attention was once again back on her.

"Excuse me Tsunade-sama, I would like for you to train me in medical Ninjutsu." There was a moment of silence as the blonde woman just stared at Fuu incredulously before bursting out into raucous laughter.

"Ha! Nice one Gaki. Me, train a brat like you? As if, I already have Shizune here." The woman rather roughly grabbed Shizune in a one-armed hug that had the poor girl pressed into the woman's bust, not that Tsunade seemed to notice in the slightest. Naruto frowned at that as the light left Fuu's eyes; he didn't want her to go back to that same listless, expressionless girl she had been before. Searching for Tsunade had given her a reason to go on, motivation and purpose; he couldn't bear to see that extinguished.

"If it's a question of compensation I assure you I can pay anything." Fuu looked up at Naruto, surprise quite evident on her face. She knew they didn't have much, barely enough to get by from town to town, so if he was offering that it meant he was planning on creating the money, breaking his own rule to help her. She felt touched but the moment was broken as Tsunade snorted derisively in that obnoxious manner only drunken people could manage.

"Yeah, even if I was to believe a pipsqueak monk like you could have the money needed to even catch my attention, that's not the point." He was actually rather surprised when the woman's face took on a more serious expression, still slightly marred by how unfocused her eyes seemed. "Being a medic-nin takes years of hard work and dedication; I don't have time to sit around teaching a brat and even if I did you have to have the control for it for the teaching to mean anything." She took a quick look up and down Fuu, making the girl feel like a piece of meat on display at a butcher's shop. "And I doubt you do." Naruto's grip around his Shakujou tightened slightly as his eyes narrowed further.

"Then why not give her a chance to prove herself?" Tsunade turned to him, her face now set in a glare of annoyance at these two persistent kids who didn't seem to realise a firm 'no' when they saw it.

"Look brat, like I said, I don't have time to deal with this crap. I have better things to do." Naruto raised an eyebrow, glancing back the way they had come before returning his gaze to the woman. It impressed her slightly that he could actually keep eye-contact with her, many men had strayed lower before now.

"You mean drinking and gambling away what little money you must surely have left?" Tsunade straightened up, hands on her hips as a smug smile spread across her face.

"Exactly. Now beat it brat." She turned dismissively only to find Naruto still directly in front of her, making her blink and wonder just how drunk she was. Even Shizune gasped a little, not having seen him move as he suddenly appeared in their way.

"We could simply follow you until you decide to help us. I assure you as a monk I honestly do have nothing better to do." He had a small serene smile on his face but his whole face hinted at something more dangerous; it was lost on Tsunade's drunken stupor though. A snarl appeared on her face, now thoroughly pissed off at these kids that kept getting in the way of her and her hotel.

"I said beat it brat, or do I have to deal with you myself?" Naruto just smiled and moved slightly to the side, ushering her on with one hand as the older blonde glared at him.

"Of course, carry on then." Tsunade huffed contemptuously before marching past the boy, shooting him a scathing look as she went by. Shizune hurried after her, making sure to give the two kids a quick apologetic smile and wave before she went, the pig in her arms oinking out what sounded like an apology as well. When she caught up to her master she sighed sadly; she knew the look on Tsunade's face and it didn't bode well for the next person that even slightly angered her.

"Tsunade-sama, are you sure it was best to simply leave it like that?" The older woman looked ready to reply with a scathing retort before huffing non-commitally.

"Eh, they're just brats, by the morning they'll have given up on this. Now come on, I lost my buzz and need another drink." Shizune groaned pitifully but meekly followed her master all the same.

* * *

"Urrgghh." Tsunade woke up the next morning with the bane of all habitual drinkers, or any drinkers at all; the dreaded hangover. Of course unlike all of those other drinkers all it took from her was a glowing green palm and Tsunade was perfectly fine, no hint of her previous headache at all. She sighed contentedly as she went about getting dressed; smiling lightly as she noticed Shizune had placed her clothes out in a crisp, neat pile, ready for her to put on.

Once dressed she stretched out, rubbing her back slightly to ease out the ache that always came after sleeping; one of the many downsides of being so busty. She took a moment just to breathe deeply before opening the door into the hallway of the hotel they were staying that, only to look down and see a familiar mop of spiky blonde hair pulled back into a shoulder-length pony-tail.

"Ah Tsunade-sama, you're up." The blonde smiled up at her, leaning slightly on his shakujou without a care in the world as he absently sipped from a small steaming cup in his hands. "Care for some tea?"


	38. Earth V

**Digi doesn't own Naruto; that might not be all that hot but they're both pretty fiery guys**

* * *

**Sage**

_"I used to be a heavy gambler. But now I just make mental bets. That's how I lost my mind." – Steve Allen_

* * *

Tsunade groaned piteously as she rested her head on the table in front of her, various bottles of Sake strewn about her semi-conscious form. Usually she would be rather happy with the amount she had drank, the enjoyable buzz of alcohol usually kicking in by now. However she wasn't able to enjoy the good drink or any of the food nearby; just like she hadn't been able to for the past few days. The reason for that was sitting across from her, smiling serenely as he sipped on his tea slowly.

Naruto and Fuu had been following Shizune and Tsunade for the past few days now and it was slowly becoming unbearable for the Sannin. At first she had simply ignored the two, hoping they would give up and leave her alone to her wallowing and drinking. However it quickly became apparent that wouldn't be happening anytime soon. She had then tried to sneak away from them but Naruto seemed to be able to track her with unparalleled ease; even when she snuck out the back of the gambling halls he would be right there, casually practising whatever technique he was so transfixed on.

When she went drinking, they would be there. When she woke up and stepped out of her hotel room, they would be there. When she left the various gambling dens she frequented, they would be there. It was getting to the point where Tsunade was just about ready to rip one of her long pony-tails out in frustration. She couldn't even leave them behind when they moved to new towns; she could always see them out the corner of her eye as they walked along the paths. Even running as fast as she could didn't help; they would catch up to her in the next town and track her down with that same unknown method.

She sat there at the bar, head on the table and saucer of Sake in her hand, glaring at the young blonde with her one visible eye. Of course she didn't know that he had gotten that exact same look from a much worse source many times before so she didn't realise how ineffective it would be. She kept trying to burn a hole through his skull with just her gaze as he calmly sat there and drank his tea, the girl doing the same but more sedately next to him; it was as if Tsunade wasn't even there. Finally, after five days of this, she couldn't take anymore and sat up, slamming her bottle down on the table with a loud rattle.

"Alright brat, listen up because I'm only going to say this once!" Naruto calmly set down his cup, looking up with that same irksome expression; although a ghost of a smirk managed to edge itself onto his lips. "I give the girl one chance. One chance and when you fail you leave me and Shizune alone for good! Deal?" Naruto smiled as he stood up from the booth, patting Fuu on the back once and looking straight at Tsunade.

"Deal, and _when _she succeeds you agree to take her on as a student?" Tsunade mumbled something incoherent under her breath that Naruto took as a reluctant yes, if you ignored the profanity mixed in. The blonde just looked up with a scathing glare as she pulled out a scroll that Shizune cautiously handed her, wary of her master's touchy mood.

"This is a Chakra control exercise that is mandatory for all medical ninja to know; if your friend can master it in two days, the time we'll still be in this town, then I'll take her on as my official student. If she can't do it then don't bother looking for us and just let us leave." Naruto looked down at the outstretched hand warily before shaking it once, not wincing as Tsunade put a little more pressure than was necessary into it.

"Fine." With that Naruto gave the scroll to Fuu and the two walked out of the bar, intent on getting a head start on the exercise. As soon as they left the bar Tsunade slumped back down to the table, much to Shizune's embarrassment as she used her expansive bosom as a headrest. They sat there in silence for a while, only the sounds of other patrons' boisterous laughter or cheers breaking up the occasional sound of sipping as Tsunade finished off the last of her Sake.

"Tsunade-sama?" The blonde looked up lazily at her assistant, her eyes finding it difficult to focus on the lithe, dark-haired girl.

"What is it Shizune?" The girl looked down with a frown, unable to look her master in the eye as she absently played with the Haori of the pig by her side. She probably knew Tsunade better than anybody in the world, even her old teammate Jiraiya; she had to in order to be her assistant. That's why she had become concerned over the last few days; seeing how easily Tsunade was to anger, becoming irritable at even the slightest provocation.

"Was it really right to do that? You know the girl won't be able to perform such an advanced control exercise; even I couldn't do it until well into my training." Tsunade just huffed dismissively as she went back to resting on her breasts, earning more than a few leering looks from the men in the bar that were quickly put an end to by a vicious glare.

"Don't worry about it Shizune, the girl will simply give up when she realises it's impossible and we can finally get rid of the brats." Shizune frowned at that as she swirled her own saucer of Sake; she didn't usually drink all that much but that didn't mean she was teetotal; she travelled with Tsunade of the Sannin after all.

"But Tsunade-sama, why are you so opposed to taking a student? Perhaps it would be a good thing, help take your mind off the past?" The blonde looked up incredulously at her long-time assistant; blinking to make sure she wasn't seeing things or that this wasn't some random person in a henge.

"What are you talking about Shizune? I have you; I don't need anything else." The younger woman just smiled sadly at that as she took a small sip from the little porcelain saucer.

"I can't be the only thing you have in the world Tsunade-sama. Maybe you should just give them a chance." Tsunade huffed derisively again and returned her head to the table, glaring at the wall.

"What's gotten into you Shizune?" The dark-haired woman stayed quiet as she looked down at the table, the pig to her side looking up at the two silent women questioningly.

* * *

_Naruto was playing about with a pebble in his hand, occasionally breaking it down into earth as he allowed his Chakra to saturate the small stone. He was ready to begin the next stage of earth manipulation but he had to keep tabs on Tsunade so he didn't have the time. If he gave her the chance he knew Tsunade would try to sneak away; it was a good thing she didn't know how he was checking on her movements. Right now they were in a hotel room on the floor below Tsunade and Shizune and he could feel the older woman lying in bed, obviously passed out._

_He suddenly looked up from his exercise, allowing the dirt above his palm to re-form into a small black pebble that he set down on the table. He got up, grabbing his shakujou from where it rested nearby and quickly made his way over to the door. When he opened it with a smile he met the shocked face of Shizune who had her hand up ready to knock. She seemed surprised at first but quickly collected herself and gave the young monk a pleasant smile._

"_Hello Shizune-san, can I help you?" The dark-haired woman gave another smile as he stepped aside to allow her in; when they were both seated comfortably on the couch Shizune seemed to think for a moment._

"_I know you and Tsunade-sama have gotten off to a bad start but I came here to help you understand." The woman paused, fiddling with her hands indecisively for a moment. "Tsunade-sama has gone through a lot in her life, the loss of her lover, my uncle Dan, and her brother Nawaki. When your friend asked her for training I'm sure it brought up many bad memories of her life in Konoha. I assure you that she is a very kind woman normally and-" she paused as Naruto held up a hand, halting her briefly as he took a sip of tea, sighing in satisfaction at the taste._

"_Why are you telling me this Shizune-san?" The woman blinked at him for a moment, her mouth opening and closing like a fish._

"_Well I just wanted to-" She frowned as Naruto held up his hand again, once again stopping her mid-sentence; this time though he turned to look at her._

"_No Shizune-san, why are _you_ telling me this? Why does Tsunade herself not come and speak with me?" Shizune seemed ruffled by this and it took her a moment to compose her thoughts as she kept nervously wringing her hands._

"_Tsunade-sama is a naturally stubborn woman; she won't take anything she sees as a challenge, against her or anybody else, lightly." Naruto raised an eyebrow at this, filing that information away for later, it could be useful._

"_I see, so it is her stubborn nature that prevents her from moving on past the deaths of her loved ones." Again Shizune frowned as she found her words being twisted slightly against her, wondering if coming here was such a good idea after all._

"_That isn't what I meant; anybody with such a tragic past would naturally want to cling to the memories of those they cared about." Naruto sighed at that as he took another short sip from his cup, the one sitting besides Shizune remaining untouched._

"_I understand that, believe me I do. But perhaps you should remind Tsunade that by wallowing in her guilt she is doing no favours to those she cared about. Fuu came to her for the very reason that she doesn't want to see anybody else she cares for die when she can possibly do something to prevent it." Shizune frowned, remembering all the times Tsunade had described how she couldn't save Dan in time, even though she was right there by his side._

"_Medical Ninjutsu cannot save everybody, there are some wounds too deep to be healed that easily." Naruto had a feeling she wasn't just talking about normal, physical injuries any more._

"_No, perhaps not. But wouldn't you feel better knowing that you did everything in your power to save somebody? Wouldn't you feel better knowing that there was absolutely nothing you personally could have done to prevent it?" The blonde sighed deeply as he placed the steaming cup down to the side. "To have that kind of closure would be a tremendous help." Shizune blinked in surprise as Naruto's usual serene smile saddened as she watched; the boy seemed to age a few years before her eyes._

"_Have you lost somebody Naruto?" Suddenly, as if it never happened, the saddened look was wiped away and Naruto was back to his usual peaceful expression._

"_I've lost many people, but I take solace in those I still have left." His eyes drifted across the room to where Fuu lay under her blankets, deep asleep as she cuddled her sheets. The young blonde looked up at Shizune thoughtfully, taking another drink slowly as the older woman felt herself squirm slightly under that unyielding gaze. "Perhaps it is time for Tsunade to do the same." With that he got up from the small couch, prompting Shizune to do the same, her tea still untouched. He led her over to the door and smiled when she turned, a confused expression on her face._

"_It was nice talking with you Shizune-san, we should do it again sometime. I'm sure your master and I will see each other a lot over the next few days." With that he gave a kindly nod and closed the door, leaving a perplexed Shizune standing there, mouth open as her brain tried to work out what just happened. She walked away towards her own room; she suddenly had a lot to think about._

* * *

Naruto casually leant against the trunk of a tree, reading from a scroll quietly and enjoying the serene air of the garden lot behind the hotel. It was a small space filled with the hum of insects and the occasional chirp of bird calls. He sighed pleasantly, taking in the sweet summer air filled with the scent of flowers and nature; it was only improved by the smells of freshly cooked food wafting in from the town. The scroll he was reading from was the one Roushi had given him, it had surprisingly good insights into how one should manipulate earth Chakra for the best results.

"Damn it!" Of course not everybody was enjoying the serenity of the evening as another frustrated scream escaping Fuu's throat followed by a loud splash of water showed. The blonde sighed as he peaked over the edge of his scroll, raising an eyebrow as Fuu threw a senbon clear across the clearing without looking, forcing Naruto to move his head slightly to the side as it embedded quite deeply into the tree trunk. It was rare for the mint-haired Jinchuuriki to express emotion, more so for frustration; she was usually rather good at concealing her irritation.

Then again Naruto assumed he might be rather irked if he had practically been dunked in freezing water a few hundred times in the course of a few hours. The Chakra control exercise, as far as he could see from what Fuu was doing, involved balancing on a senbon... on top of water. Technically you were supposed to start with kunai but Fuu didn't have time for that so she had jumped right in with the last stage of the exercise. Ten shadow clones worked right alongside her, only further revealing her frustration as they mirrored her angry cries.

The problem wasn't really in the balancing; Fuu could do that no problem with her Kunoichi training even if she wobbled a little at first. It was the fact she had to not only channel her Chakra through a senbon, which didn't conduct the energy very well, she also had to focus it into a fine enough point to stay above the water. From that Naruto guessed it was to test a medic's skill in finely controlling one's Chakra when it left the body. Unfortunately from the rate Fuu was progressing it didn't look like she was going to complete the exercise in two days.

Right now she was using her hand to balance on the senbon as it was easier to channel Chakra through than the feet but in theory a medic should be able to do it from any point on their body. The fact that she had such massive Chakra reserves didn't help, nor did the Nanabi's Chakra running through her system. Usually Jinchuuriki were forever barred from the arts of Genjutsu or Iryojutsu as they required too fine control. However if any of them could do it then Fuu could, she had been training all of her life in exercises to perfect her control, or rather was forced to; no use having an inefficient weapon after all.

"Gah!" Naruto winced as a few more of the Fuu's on the senbon wobbled before falling into the water completely, including the real Fuu. By the time they had dragged themselves back onto dry land the rest had promptly followed them, continuing the cycle of failure followed by soaking. The original lay on the bank of the small pond for a while, panting heavily; her reserves were still mostly full but straining herself to that level of control was tiring.

"Here." She looked up, moving some of her soaking hair away from her eyes to see Naruto sitting next to her, offering a small cup of steaming tea. She sat up and took it gratefully, sighing delightedly as it warmed up her chilled body. She blinked suddenly, realising she was in fact feeling a lot warmer all of a sudden. She was surprised then to find Naruto's hand on her shoulder where the water from her clothes was slowly evaporating away from her leaving her dry and warm. At her questioning look Naruto just smiled, sipping from his own cup of tea.

"It's just a thin application of fire Chakra, I could teach you the trick later if you like?" Fuu just nodded glumly; her whole enthusiasm at finally getting through to Tsunade with this chance had been drowned along with a few hundred of her clones. She followed Naruto's eyes out to the lake where fireflies had begun to buzz about atop the water, lighting it up in a myriad of strange, almost mystical patterns as the water rippled.

"Maybe you need to use more shadow clones?" Fuu sighed, she knew Naruto was just trying to help but right now she really needed to figure it out on her own. This was the challenge Tsunade set her, no matter how impossible it seemed this was her one chance at getting training from a legendary Sannin.

"Any more and I would get a headache; it is not worth it if I lose training time." Naruto just nodded with a small frown, the silence of the night only interrupted by the buzz of the fireflies and the sipping of tea. Naruto watched one of the insects lazily fly around the surface of the water without any semblance of reason, just going where its wings or the air currents took it. Eventually it set itself down atop the surface of the water, gliding about as it looked for food or perhaps a mate.

"Heh, they make it look so easy." Fuu looked up from where she had been staring at the ground in thought, absently glancing over to where Naruto gestured at the insects. She looked back down after seeing it was just an idle observation before her eyes widened in revelation and she shot to her feet.

"That's it!" Naruto blinked in surprise, ducking under the cup of tea Fuu had practically thrown in her moment of apparent epiphany.

"What's it?" However Fuu was already gone, grabbing a few senbon from where she left them by the pond's edge. She grabbed eight in total, securing them all by one point to the tips of her fingers with the usual surface clinging method that was only marginally harder than tree-climbing. Then, carefully, she set the other ends of the acupuncture tools against the surface of the water, channelling her Chakra through it. Miraculously when she flipped her body up into a wobbly handstand atop the thin metal needles she didn't immediately fall into the pond.

"Yes!" Of course it didn't last long before her concentration slipped and she was right back in the freezing water that had only gotten colder now the sun had set. This time Naruto couldn't help but chuckle as a newly drenched Fuu dragged herself back onto the land, dripping wet but in a better mood than before. He walked over and helped her to up to her feet, laughing again when she had to blow her damp hair away from her face, with little success.

"And what was that supposed to accomplish?" Fuu glared at him for a moment for his all too innocent tone before smiling genuinely as she collected another handful of senbon.

"I'm taking inspiration from the insects." The irony there was lost to the both of them. "They spread their mass out between their limbs so they can use the surface tension of the water to stay afloat. I'm doing the same thing except because I use too much Chakra and lose control, I'm splitting it four different ways in each hand. As I gain control over it I can slowly take away the senbon until it's just the one!" She seemed incredibly pleased with herself at that and Naruto couldn't help but be impressed by her shortcut. With that and using shadow clones as well she just might make it before the deadline.

* * *

When Naruto woke up the next morning he allowed a shadow clone to disperse that he had left awake during the night in case Tsunade tried to renege on their deal. When he went outside he found Fuu lying there by the side of the pond, asleep and curled up on herself to ward of the cold morning air. A soft smile crept its way onto his face as he walked over, looking down at the dozing girl; he had no idea how long she had been asleep for but he was sure she had probably worked long into the night.

"Ahh so close!" He blinked in surprise as a very familiar voice and an even more familiar splash met his ears. When he turned he saw another Fuu standing waist deep in the pond with a frustrated but determined expression on her face. He blinked and looked at the girl still lying on the ground by his feet.

"Fuu?" The girl in the pond looked up as her name was called, staring at Naruto expectantly; she looked haggard and looked about ready to drop.

"Yeah?" Naruto just blinked and looked between the two Fuu's again.

"It's morning." The drenched girl looked up at the sky with slightly widened eyes as if only just noticing the fact the sun had come up.

"Oh yeah." She nodded once and the cloned near the blonde's feet burst into smoke; instantly Fuu looked better, her eyes gaining their previous lustre as she stood up a little straighter. "Ah, that's better." When she looked up again she saw Naruto staring at her questioningly and she quickly explained. "You told me that shadow clones pass on their fatigue as well as their memories, I just figured the reverse could be true; I might as well let my shadow clones do my sleeping for me. I suppose I would have to sleep eventually or I would get rings around my eyes but it works for one night at least." Naruto nodded thoughtfully.

"That's rather ingenious." Fuu beamed at the praise as she clambered out of the pond, dripping across the already dew-dampened grass. It was a good thing Jinchuuriki couldn't get ill in the conventional sense or Naruto was sure the girl would have a debilitating cold by now.

"Thanks." Fuu curtsied in an over exaggerated manner making Naruto chuckle as he offered her another cup of tea which she took gratefully. She had only just then realised how cold it was, too into her training as she had been before.

"Ah, so how are the little passive aggressive brats doing this morning?" Both kids turned to see Tsunade strutting over, hands on her hips and a contemptuous smirk on her face as she saw exactly what she was hoping for; a drenched Fuu being consoled for her many failures.

"Good morning Tsunade-sama; tea?" The older blonde snatched the cup with a small grumble from the boy who had pulled it out of seemingly nowhere and downed it in one, seemingly uncaring how hot it was.

"Still unflappable as ever brat?" Naruto just tilted his head innocently as he sipped from his own cup, that same narrowed-eye smile on his features.

"I don't know what you mean." Tsunade just grumbled something under her breath that was better left unheard by kids their age. She turned her attention away from the little bane of her past few days and instead to the dripping girl next to him.

"So how goes the exercise? Completed it yet?" Fuu simply returned the arrogant smirk with a determined glare of her own as she played with a senbon between her fingers.

"I still have a day to do this, that's plenty of time, you'll see!" Tsunade just huffed dismissively as she walked off, waving nonchalantly behind her as she no doubt went to find a bar or gambling den to waste away her money; money she probably didn't have. When she was gone Naruto turned back to Fuu, still sipping casually on his tea; he would have to ask the shop owner how he made it. It was really good tea.

"So how far _have _you gotten?" Fuu's shoulders slumped forwards, all the previous bravado disappearing faster than an Iwa Shinobi when they saw the yellow flash.

"I'm down to three senbon for each hand." Her tone sounded dejected but she managed a small smile when Naruto patted her on the back comfortingly.

"That's great, I'm sure you'll get it down before tomorrow." Fuu just nodded with a sigh, not sounding all that confident but getting back to it nonetheless.

* * *

It was the next morning and, rather suitably, it was overcast with rain, the little droplets beating down on the group of four as they stood outside by the pond. Tsunade looked naturally irritable as her clothes were dampened, despite Shizune doing her best with an umbrella. Naruto and Fuu on the other hand looked unperturbed; rain wasn't really anything that bothered them. In fact if anything, rain brought them some good memories.

"What are you smiling about?" Naruto ignored the terse tone in Tsunade's voice as he looked up from beneath his Sugegasa hat. He was nice and toasty with the fire Chakra running through his body, barely feeling the rain through the thick travelling cloak.

"Oh nothing." Tsunade growled as everybody's attention turned back to Fuu who looked decidedly more nervous than she had the other times she was around Tsunade. Naruto could tell she had stayed up all night again; he would have to discourage her from that in the future unless it was an emergency; it couldn't be good for her to abuse Shadow clones like this.

"Alright brat, let's get this over with; I want to get going already." Fuu frowned but tried not to let the discouraging words get to her as she walked out onto the pond, senbon in hand. Hesitantly she placed it on her index finger's tip and quickly rolled forward into a perfect handstand atop the thin needle. Naruto's eyes widened slightly when she wobbled dangerously but the mint-haired girl grit her teeth and managed to stabilise herself before she fell into the water. After a few seconds it was apparent she wasn't going to fall off, even if the strain was visible on her face as sweat dripped from her nose.

"Hmm." After thirty seconds was up Fuu gratefully dropped back to her feet, looking a little unsteady from the enormous strain such a delicate exercise put on her body until Naruto rushed over and held her up. She managed to lift her head up and look at Tsunade expectantly while the woman looked back, clearly frowning over something. What they didn't know was just how surprised the legendary medic was at the girl's accomplishment; she didn't think anybody would be able to complete such a controlled exercise so young.

"Well, a deal's a deal." Fuu's eyes lit up at that as she felt energy flood back into her system. "So get lost, you said we wouldn't have to deal with you again." Both kids' faces immediate fell, Naruto's twisting into an mask of confusion.

"What do you mean? She did it didn't she?" Tsunade just smirked as she picked up the scroll that Fuu had left on the ground while she trained.

"Sorry, the exercise was to get to that point and balance on your feet." Tsunade didn't sound all that apologetic as she said it making Naruto grit his teeth in frustration and Fuu deflate slightly.

"You can't hold her on a technicality like that! If you gave her another day then she would easily get it." Tsunade simply maintained that superior smirk as she tucked the scroll away again, her other hand on her hip.

"Sorry kid, a bet's a bet." With that she promptly turned and walked off, leaving a stunned Naruto and Fuu in her wake. She didn't get very far in the road before Naruto appeared in front of her, blocking their path again. Tsunade's self-satisfied smirk turned into a snarl as she continued to walk towards the young monk.

"Listen kid, a deals a deal, you have to leave us alone now, so beat it!" Naruto stood firm, planting his shakujou down into the wet ground as he stared back defiantly.

"Fine, how about a new bet?" Tsunade just sneered as she stood there; a part of her just wanted to ignore the boy and carry on, be rid of him forever. However a much larger and louder part of her just couldn't ignore a challenge; Tsunade wasn't one to turn down a bet. "You make me move from this circle..." He drew a small circle in the dirt around him of about a two-foot radius with the end of his staff. "...and we not only leave you alone, but I give you this." He held up the wooden staff in his hand; from the side Fuu gasped in surprise while Tsunade just looked incredulous.

"And what the hell would I do with a shakujou Gaki? I'm not a monk." Naruto smirked at that as he deepened the line around him, already feeling that Tsunade would be taking this bet.

"Not just a shakujou, the Sage of the Six Path's shakujou." Tsunade scoffed at that, refusing to believe a brat like this would have something that valuable in his possession.

"As if brat; do you really expect me to believe you own something that valuable?" Naruto just smirked as he twirled the long staff in his hand.

"What have you really got to lose?" Tsunade gritted her teeth at that and pointed a dangerous finger at the young blonde.

"Don't test me kid, I could really hurt you!" Naruto maintained his smirk, not a look he often donned but it was necessary to rile up the Sannin in front of him.

"Then you have nothing to worry about right? Five minutes; if you can't knock me out of this circle in five minutes then you take Fuu on as a student." Tsunade growled lowly in her throat as she glared at the boy; the part of her that enjoyed gambling so much had never been louder. If that really was the Sage's original shakujou she could probably pay off more than half of her debts... or use it to win enough to pay them all back.

"You know what kid? I think knocking some sense into you is a good idea after all." Naruto smirked outwardly but inside he breathed a sigh of relief; he wasn't sure that ploy would have worked.

"You can try Baa-chan. You can try."


	39. Earth VI

**Digi doesn't own Naruto; really, in my day Fanfiction authors would... ah, Mei-sama, why are you looking at me like that?**

* * *

**Sage**

_"Maybe I got something wrong, but it doesn't matter because the thought of wanting to help others definitely isn't wrong." - Shirou Emiya_

* * *

Standing across from one another on a rain-soaked road near the outskirts of a town in Tsuchi no Kuni stood two people. At first glance most probably wouldn't think too much of them, just a young monk and an older, albeit very busty woman. However those who looked closer would have noticed more interesting details, like the small ring drawn around the smaller of the two in the dirt or the fact that the older woman had entered a combat stance. There was also the fact that both were blondes, a rare trait in Tsuchi no Kuni, and not a particularly well-liked one.

"You know brat, the strange thing is you know exactly who I am and yet you're still going to do this." Tsunade stood tall, her body subconsciously shifting into a loose combat stance; she didn't think the kid was going to be any sort of challenge but even after all this time her body was still conditioned to be a Kunoichi. Naruto on the other hand stood more relaxed, but still alert as he gripped his shakujou tightly; he wasn't sure what he had been thinking betting it but it was really more of a spur of the moment thing.

"I'll do anything to protect the dreams of the people I care about." Tsunade scoffed as she held up a single hand, pointing her index finger to the sky as she smirked.

"Well your little honourable ideals aren't going to do you any good; it'll only take me one finger to deal with you." Naruto narrowed his eyes but didn't reply as he merely stood there, eyes flickering about for any signs that Tsunade might attack. He wasn't honestly sure if he could defeat a Sannin but right now he didn't have to, he just couldn't move. Tsunade quickly realised Naruto wasn't going to move, mostly because it would bring him out of the ring and he wasn't that idiotic.

"One finger brat!" With that she slammed her index finger into the ground, making everybody's eyes widen as the floor beneath them suddenly erupted in a barrage of newly dug-up rocks and parts of the street itself. Naruto's eyes widened as well, but for a different reason as the hail of small and large rocks suddenly halted just outside of his little ring, dropping to the floor harmlessly. When the smoke cleared and Tsunade saw her attack was ineffective she frowned before shaking her head, thinking it was some kind of fluke.

Suddenly, with surprising speed for somebody who hadn't been an active Kunoichi for over twenty years, her hand shot forward, laced with Chakra. Both Fuu and Shizune winced as a shockwave blew past them, making the nearby windows rattle. However once again the attack seemed ineffective against Naruto; his robes only fluttered slightly. This only deepened Tsunade's frown, the sheer air pressure behind that punch should have been enough to send Naruto flying but it was like there was some invisible barrier between them.

"Well, you do have some tricks then." Naruto remained quiet, causing a tick mark to appear over Tsunade's temple and she marched forward.

"Right, that's it kid; you really need to learn your place!" This time Naruto's eyes widened in genuine fear as Tsunade lifted her hand up again, only this time it was practically flooded with Chakra when she brought it back down again. This time the windows didn't just rattle, they shattered completely, as did a few walls as the ground suddenly inverted on itself.

Naruto only had moments to react as the quickly enlarging crater neared him; fast as possibly he crouched down and flooded the ground with his Chakra. Using all the experience he had mustered with Shukaku's sand and the recently gained expertise with the earth Chakra exercise he hardened the ground beneath him as much as physically possible. Unfortunately he couldn't do that and protect himself at the same time so he got pelted by a few rocks, some the size of his fist, but he weathered it all the same.

When the smoke cleared the street was in shambles; a few storefronts were just about ready to collapse on themselves and not a single window in the area had been spared. Shizune couldn't help but groan at all the new loans they would have to take out just to pay for all this; if Tsunade didn't skip town first which was far more likely. When Naruto stood there were a few rips and tears in his robes, something that irked him considering they had seen him through a war without damage. However he was mostly unharmed, even if there would be a few bruises forming that night before his accelerated healing took care of them.

Tsunade had been worried at first, thinking she might have gone too far with that last attack. However when she saw that Naruto was unharmed and her attack was once again ineffective against that small circular area around the boy she grit her teeth in irritation. Worse, she only had around another minute to remove him from that ring or else she would lose the bet. Finally giving into her frustrations she simply rushed forward, giving a curt battle cry with her index finger raised to flick the stubborn monk in the forehead; she figured his strange horned headband would protect him.

However she missed the smirk that played over Naruto's face as she got within striking distance. Underestimating him due to his size and age she didn't put nearly the power or effort into the strike that she should have. That was why she was surprised when the blonde suddenly ducked under her outstretched arm, his own palm ready to strike her in the stomach. She wasn't a Sannin for nothing and with lightning-fast reflexes her other hand had already come down to bat it away. Unluckily for her Naruto had predicted that and had already positioned the shakujou to block her.

Tsunade's shock when a flimsy staff of wood took the full force of one of her blows was palpable. Worse, she felt as though her punch had lost all of its power the moment it came into contact with the shakujou. However in her shock she almost missed the hand resting against her stomach; almost. For all the good it did her she managed to look down to see Naruto with his palm pressed flat up against the front of her shirt, his Sugegasa hat casting his face into shadow ominously.

"Shinra Tensei." The shockwave that exploded out from that contact rivalled Tsunade's finger-strike in its power; however it was much more focused. The blonde woman was rocketed backward, caught completely off-guard as the sudden gravitational forces wrenched her back. Had she more room to manoeuvre she probably would have been able to twist her body and land with some semblance of grace. As it was she was in a street, and not a very big one at that; her body slammed into a wall, already weakened from her own attack earlier, and continued right on through it.

There was dead quiet on the street as the dust began to settle; Shizune's face was a mask of utter shock as well as a hint of worry. She had never seen her master even once remotely challenged, whether it was from attackers or an injury to heal. To see the woman countered and even blown back so quickly was just awe-inspiring. She knew Tsunade was strong but she had felt the power in that single attack and she couldn't help but feel a flutter of worry in her chest as she locked at the vaguely Tsunade-shaped hole in the wall across the street.

She sighed in relief when a hand suddenly emerged from the rubble, or more accurately a very tightly clenched fist. The area the Sannin had landed in suddenly exploded outwards, revealing a very mad, and ever so slightly glowing Tsunade. Her head was down and her hair only partially shadowed her face, still revealing the sinister grin that had suddenly alighted on her features. When she took a step forward the ground beneath her foot cracked as the sheer weight of her Chakra began to press down on the surrounding area.

"Alright brat, you want to play?" The sounds of knuckles cracking echoed through the narrow streets causing Naruto to involuntarily gulp. "Then let's play." She took another step forward only to freeze when the shrill sound of a buzzer met everybody's ears. Slowly, very slowly, Tsunade turned her head to look at where Fuu was holding up a small white timer that was clearly showing the five minutes was up. Even more slowly she turned back to Naruto who was still inside his small ring. Then, all at once, her shoulders slumped forward as Naruto and Fuu breathed a simultaneous sigh of relief.

"I can't believe it." Tsunade dropped to her knees, her head tilted down so her hair still cast her eyes into shadow. Shizune immediately rushed forward to be at her side but the older woman immediately brushed her off as she got back to her feet, her posture about as dignified as she felt. She walked over to where Fuu had gone to congratulate Naruto, catching both kid's attention as she stopped in front of them. Finally she lifted her head, her face showing nothing of the roiling emotions just beneath the surface.

"You'll be ready to leave in ten minutes." And with nothing more she turned around and walked off in the direction of her hotel, Shizune quickly rushing after her after a moment of hesitation. Naruto and Fuu blinked at the same time as they watched the woman's form retreat down the street. Both were confused at what had just happened but Fuu was the first to clear her head as she turned back to face her blonde friend.

"Thank you Naruto; you didn't have to do that for me." The blonde blinked one more time in shock before snapping out of it as a smile crept over his face.

"It's no problem Fuu." The girl vehemently shook her head as her fists tightened slightly, turning a creamy shade of white at the knuckles.

"No really Naruto; you would have sacrificed your shakujou. I know how much that means to you." She looked down, her usual impassive nature replaced by an expression that wouldn't have looked out of place on a shy civilian schoolgirl. "I've never had somebody who cares about me like you do; I want you to know how much I appreciate it." Before Naruto could react Fuu leant forward and placed a small, chaste kiss on his cheek before pulling back, trying her best to mask the hint of pink that was spreading across her face.

"Uh..." Naruto just stood there, dazed and confused for a second time in the last few minutes as he stared at the girl in shock. Fuu was wringing her hands nervously as she looked down, the blush becoming more pronounced with every moment Naruto remained silent.

"I-I'm sorry, I don't know if that was any good. I mean I've never, well I only-" She was cut off as Naruto suddenly broke from his semi-trances, moving forward and quickly wrapping his arms around the smaller girl's shoulders.

"It's alright Fuu, thank you for that." He pulled back and a small part of Fuu wished he hadn't; he was warm and she enjoyed the embrace. "You're my friend and you always will be." The girl managed her own smile at that that only made Naruto's wider as he patted her gently on the shoulder. "Now come on, we better go and get our things if we want to catch up to Tsunade." Fuu nodded quickly as the two walked off in the direction the older blonde had gone.

The mint-haired Jinchuuriki, in her embarrassment at kissing Naruto, missed when the blonde put a finger to the spot where her lips had been on his cheek, a confused and worried look on his face.

* * *

Surprisingly, Tsunade didn't try to run off or go back on her deal at all; when they showed up at the gate leading out of the town she was there along with Shizune, a resigned if not irritated expression marring her beautiful face. She scowled when she saw the two approaching, turning and leaving without saying a word and allowing them to catch up to her on their own time. They carried on in that manner as the group of four travelled along the road, awkward silence permeating the air around them. Finally, after around an hour of this, Tsunade finally stopped in the centre of the road, turning around the face the two kids.

"Right, if I'm going to be training you brats then I have certain rules." Naruto blinked in surprise as he stopped, leaning on his shakujou slightly.

"Wait, I thought you were only training Fuu?" Tsunade just turned to him with a smile that held around the same malice the Kyuubi usually wore most days.

"And miss out the chance to put you through my training? No chance." Naruto found himself involuntarily gulping again. As much as he relished the chance to be taught by somebody of Tsunade's calibre and status he found something distinctly ominous about that smile of hers.

"Uh, right." Tsunade just nodded once, pulling her hands up to rest on her hips as Shizune walked up to join the woman by her side.

"Rule number one, my word is law. You will follow any and all instructions from me as if they were from Kami-sama herself." Naruto remained quiet and allowed the woman to continue after she stopped to check for objections. "Rule number two, you are not done until I say you are. I don't care if you run until your legs burn like they've been dipped in acid; if I haven't told you to stop, you don't stop." Again the two remained silent, although Naruto was starting to imagine terrible things that Tsunade might consider 'training'. He was sure this was some kind of karmic rebalance for him partaking in a bet; although it seems somewhat extreme.

"Rule number three, Shizune is my right hand. If I'm unavailable, Shizune's word is as good as mine; she's been my assistant and student for longer than you brats have been alive so treat her with the right amount of respect." At that Shizune smiled weakly as she hugged Tonton closer to her chest. "Rule number four, try to wake me up after I've been drinking and I will come up with a very creative way to injure you; as a medic I know plenty." Naruto blinked at that; the rules were starting to become stranger as they went on.

"Rule number five, you pull your own weight. I'm not paying for your food or anything else; you want something you earn it yourself." Any further thoughts Naruto might have had were interrupted as Tsunade struck a strange pose, her hand pointed up into the sky. "Finally rule number six! I get a re-match whenever I want!" She brought her hand down and pointed it squarely at Naruto who had blanched at the ridiculous declaration, despite how serious Tsunade's face appeared. "If you don't agree to the rules or follow them to the letter, I will teach you nothing." There was silence for a moment before both Naruto and Fuu nodded their heads once.

"Yes Tsunade-sama." The woman's grin became even more evil if that was possible as she leaned closer to the two, unintentionally drawing attention to her massive bust.

"That's Tsunade-sensei to you two." This time Naruto wasn't alone as he gulped; Fuu was starting to wonder if going after the legendary medic was such a good idea after all.

"Yes Tsunade-sensei." Both Naruto and Fuu blinked in surprise when Tsunade's smile lost all its malice, becoming somewhat congenial even as she straightened back up again.

"Good, then let's go." With that she promptly turned on her heel and swiftly walked off, leaving Naruto and Fuu to look at each other uneasily before following after her, like good students.

* * *

"Urrgghhh." It had been a week since Tsunade had taken Fuu and Naruto on as apprentices and Naruto now fully understood why Tsunade had been so eager to include him; it was punishment more than anything else. She was brutal, worse than a slave driver; it felt like she was genuinely trying to kill them at times and she did it all with a smile on her face. At first it had been merely challenging; what would be gruelling for an average human, or even most Shinobi, was easily shrugged off by the two Jnchuuriki after a night's rest.

Unfortunately Tsunade wasn't the world's greatest medic since Hashirama Senju for nothing; she had been able to tell her little 'training sessions' weren't working the two to their limits. She had simply upped the pace to what Naruto quite honestly thought would have killed most other people by now. Their respective healing factors were no longer bringing them back to normal by the morning; they were the only thing keeping the two on their feet.

The first thing they were forced to do was complete the exercise Fuu had originally been set; which to her credit only took the girl anther day to master to an acceptable level. Naruto on the other hand, he had simply accepted the senbon, walked out onto the water and stood on it with no hassle. Chakra control came so easily to him now he barely had to concentrate; it was probably quite unfair having his Rinnegan do all the work for him but it allowed him to focus on other things. Of course once Tsunade got over her initial shock she had simply given him that creepy grin as she thought of all the ways she could abus-take advantage of his 'quick learning curve'.

Of course it put rather a damper on her good mood when Naruto proved only the most advanced of medical control techniques would make him actually focus. It actually made the woman wonder just what kind of hellish training he had been put through to get to this level. At his age she had only the control of an average Chuunin, though she had a lifetime to hone that into the skills that made her so famous and she did so with unparalleled swiftness once she understood what she wanted to do. That wasn't to say it still didn't bother her... because it did, which she proved with the horrendous 'training' she out him through.

Currently the pair were lying on their beds; not because they were tired, which they were, but because they couldn't physically move their limbs without incurring serious pain. At first Naruto thought Tsunade might be trying to immobilise them to make her escape; however he could sense her drinking at the bar downstairs, probably laughing at their misery. He could sense Shizune with her as well, no doubt trying to limit any damage her master might incur if she got too drunk and somebody decided to pick a fight.

Shizune was probably the only bright ray in the very long and very dark tunnel that this training regime had become. When Tsunade was there with another crazy way to torture them, Shizune would always be on hand afterwards to offer water or occasionally, if necessity demanded it, a healing. He almost wished he had met her sooner and had started thinking of her almost as an older sister. Of course it didn't take much for his mind to wander towards Ayame and how she used to be, thoroughly souring his mood.

However he gritted his teeth and weathered it all, as Fuu was doing, because he was at least seeing results. In the past week alone his speed and reflexes had increased; his control was refined even further and there was some pretty interesting reading material if he was still mobile after a session. The main downside was the fact he didn't have much time to meditate at nights, he was either too tired or in too much pain to assume the correct position. He supposed he could do it lying down but when he tried it just didn't feel right.

So far they hadn't been taught any actual medical techniques; Tsunade refused to teach them until they were 'ready', whatever that meant. Apparently she was giving them the full medical-nin training and that meant they were being taught how to dodge first. As Tsunade said, it doesn't matter how good you are at healing if you are the first in the squad to be taken down. However learning to dodge involved avoiding large medicine balls Tsunade threw with a great deal of her tremendous strength. He had found out the hard way that simply using his sand or Deva path to defend himself meant he got no dinner as he had 'violated' rule number one.

Naruto just thought it was an excuse for her to inflict as much bodily harm on him as possible; although he couldn't say the training was fruitless. To be honest though, if there was an enemy his sand of his Deva path couldn't protect him from, he wasn't sure how dodging would do him any good unless he got to the level of the Yondaime Hokage's speed. Somehow that seemed highly unlikely as he was sure it must have taken the man years to develop those skills, and it wouldn't have been through dodging large, and painful, medicine balls.

He lay on his bed, contemplating things like the past week as well as a few of the questions that had been plaguing him for a while. However the ever-present throb of his aching limbs didn't help his concentration much. However just as he tried to sit up and go get a glass of water to soothe his headache he felt his consciousness slipping away to a familiar realm.

* * *

Naruto blinked in surprise as he looked up at the five great cages in front of him, wondering what had drawn him into the seal. It didn't take long as he gazed up at the third cage, noting the conspicuously not-unconscious Sanbi that stared back at his with its single narrowed eye. Shukaku was making his usual excited noises in the background while Matatabi and the Kyuubi appeared to be asleep, although he knew the fox was likely just pretending. The Yonbi merely watched the human and Bijuu stare each other down in interest, reclining against the bars of his cell.

"**Ningen, explain what happened here. Where am I and why am I not with my host?" **Naruto widened his eyes slightly at the slightly feminine tone to the Sanbi's voice; for some reason he had expected her to be male. He expected it would be best not to comment on that.

"What do you remember?" It was the Bijuu's turn to be surprised at a human, a human child no less, speaking to a Bijuu with little to no fear. Her eye narrowed even further as it gazed around the room, noting the other cages and the Bijuu within them; none of them appeared panicked or confused.

"**First explain where I am, this is not the Seishin Sekai and yet there are five of us here." **Naruto nodded, he expected the situation would appear rather strange without explanation.

"You are within me, as are Shukaku, Matatabi, Son Goku, and the Kyuubi." If the Sanbi was not confused before she certainly was now; for this human to know so many of the Bijuu's names, even if him not knowing the Kyuubi's was to be expected, was unheard of. Not to mention the fact that a mere child could contain them all, including the Kyuubi who would rip apart a normal human from the strain of his sheer presence.

"**And how are you able to contain us and not be torn apart?" **To answer Naruto merely opened his eyes, eliciting a sharp gasp from the Bijuu as she peered closer with her one good eye. **"Father's eyes." **She leaned back again, scrutinising the much smaller blonde carefully before looking around the room again. It had been a long time since she saw so many of her siblings and she could even sense the presence of Choumei not too far away. **"You are certainly an interesting Ningen; very will I will tell you what I know." **The Sanbi looked up and away, lazily looking at the bars that now imprisoned her within this child.

"**I remember being within my former container, Yagura. He only used my Chakra sparingly so I only caught glimpses of the outside world but I remember him becoming the Mizukage and a few battles after that. Then one day I simply saw a large pair of Sharingan eyes and then I woke up here." **The large turtle looked back down at Naruto, glancing at the Kyuubi out of the corner of her eye as it growled at the mention of the Sharingan. **"Now explain what happened and how I came to be here." **Naruto nodded quickly; he didn't need another relationship like he had with the Kyuubi; he wanted to get off to a good start this time.

"I don't know how long you were like that within Yagura but a few weeks ago I defeated him and absorbed all of the Chakra from his body, including you. When you first appeared here you had a Sharingan in your eye and were in an uncontrollable rage. When I pushed Chakra into your cell to strengthen it from breaking, the Sharingan disappeared and you fell unconscious." If it was possible for a large crab-like turtle to frown the Sanbi managed it; she seemed greatly troubled by the news.

"**The turtle was controlled." **All eyes turned to the Kyuubi who was still feigning sleep, not even bothering to open his eyes. When, after a few moments, the fox didn't bother to expand upon his statement, the Sanbi turned back to Naruto.

"**I fear the fox is correct; it sounds as though I was being controlled." **Naruto frowned at that; he had known the Bijuu could be controlled by the Sharingan before but to see it first hand was troubling. However more problematic was the thought that struck him next.

"If you were controlled, does that mean Yagura could have been being controlled as well?" The Sanbi seemed thoughtful at that before shaking her large head.

"**I do not know Ningen; I suppose it is possible, although for what purpose I cannot say." **Naruto nodded with a schooled expression that didn't reveal just how tremendously troubled he was by that news. Yagura's memories didn't reveal the fact that he could have been controlled so he took solace in that but the fact it was possible meant he might have killed an innocent man; it was something that horrified him.

"**Ningen." **Naruto looked up, knocked out of his thoughts by the booming voice of the Sanbi. **"I will tell you the same thing I told my previous container; simply leave me be in silence and you may use my Chakra as you wish." **Naruto blinked at the resignation in the great turtle's voice; surprised to hear such a tone from a Bijuu.

"No." This time the Sanbi was the shocked one as she scrutinised the boy before her with a narrowed eye.

"**What do you mean no?" **Naruto maintained a level gaze with the creature having been used to much worse.

"I mean no. I refuse to simply ignore you and abuse your Chakra like that. I will tell you what I have told your brothers and sisters." He ignored the slight growl from the Kyuubi's cage as he continued. "I wish to help the Bijuu, to free them from their hatred." He smiled softly as he looked up, catching the Sanbi off guard as she hadn't seen that look from a human since the Sage himself. "How can I ever come to understand you if I don't know you?" Silence hung in the air as his words settled on everybody present before the Sanbi's eye lost its cold edge.

"**You really are an interesting Ningen child; very well, the others seem to trust you so I will do the same. You may try to... **_**understand **_**me if you wish, although I do not know what you expect to happen. What is your name Ningen?" **Naruto beamed at that, glad at least that it went almost as smoothly as it did with Matatabi.

"I am Naruto Uzumaki." The Sanbi nodded slowly, as if contemplating the name; she seemingly found it acceptable as her eye swivelled back down to the blonde.

"**My given name is Isobu." **Naruto's smile brightened at that; he already knew her name from hearing the others talk about her but it was good to have her tell him by herself.

"**Pathetic, to give your name away so easily; you are all worse than scum." **Isobu's eye narrowed again but she said nothing; the Sanbi was naturally quite meek and reclusive by nature and she would never oppose the Kyuubi.

"There is no weakness in trusting others Kyuubi, it is only by protecting the bonds we forge with others that we become truly strong." The fox huffed loudly as he turned his head away from the young monk.

"**You are foolish and naïve; where was your strength when that pathetic girl died right in front of you?" **What ensued was a short glaring match between the Kyuubi and Naruto that for once Naruto was the first to turn away from, eliciting a sickening grin from the fox. **"You will come to understand with time, the only strength in this world comes from one's own power. Time will reveal this to you as it did for me, as it does for any who live long enough to understand the truth in this world." **Naruto simply stood there, his head hung slightly as his hair shadowed his eyes.

"You're wrong." He looked up, the tiniest of smiles on his face but it was still noticeable to the sharp eyes of the fox, making him snarl. "And one day we will understand each other enough for you to see that." The large slitted red eyes narrowed before closing completely as the Kyuubi gave a final, dismissive snort. Naruto turned back to the Sanbi with that same small smile as he inclined his head slightly. "It was nice to meet you Isobu." If the great turtle had eyebrows they probably would have raised at that.

"**It was certainly interesting meeting you, Uzumaki." **Naruto simply gave a curt nod as he vanished from the seal.

* * *

The blonde opened his eyes to the sound of banging against his door; he looked across to see morning light streaking in through the poorly-closed blinds and groaned pitifully. He smiled though when the same sound emerged from Fuu's lips as she too realised her precious sleep was over and they were back to another gruelling day of training. In the single minute it took them to get ready and dressed, Tsunade hated to be kept waiting after all, said woman stood right outside their door, tossing a large medicine ball up and down with a sadistic grin plastered over her face.


	40. Earth VII

**Yeah! Digi doesn't own my Sochi Dattebane!**

* * *

**Sage**

_"The purpose of training is to tighten up the slack, toughen the body, and polish the spirit." – Morihei Ueshiba_

* * *

"Make sure your Chakra flow is as even as possible." Tsunade looked over Naruto's shoulder with scrutinizing eyes as she watched his green-glowing palm pass slowly over the top of the small unconscious fish laid out in front of him. It was lying atop a scroll inscribed with many complex kanji designed to aid fledgling medic-nin in spreading their medical Chakra out evenly across the fish's whole body. The animal itself was pumped with many chemicals designed to simulate a near-death state that the training medic had to bring the creature out of.

"Hmm, good enough I suppose." Tsunade was glad Naruto was facing away from her, she didn't want him to see her face; she was sure it showed her amazement that he had progressed so rapidly. Not only was the boy's Chakra control practically unheard of, especially with the reserves the blonde seemed to have, but he had an unbelievable learning curve. She glanced over to the green-haired girl next to him, her hand flickering with faint green Chakra as her scrunched up face showed her frustrations.

"You can't have your Chakra so erratic as it leaves your body, then you won't be able to control it at all once it is in the patient." The green haired girl's response was a non-committal grunt as she continued to focus on smoothing out the flow of medicinal Chakra through her hand. Tsunade just sighed in amusement; the mystical palm technique was one every medic had to learn; it was the crutch of the profession. It was a simultaneous diagnostic technique and a method to alter the qualities of one's Chakra to better suit the patients.

"Gah!" Fuu threw her hands up in the air in frustration as she glared at the now smouldering fish sitting before her, most certainly dead from the way a good chunk of its scales had melted away. Tsunade furrowed her brow as she looked at the charred remains of the fish, the frown creasing her forehead as she peered over the girl's shoulder. "What am I doing wrong?" Tsunade simply hummed an absent answer as she continued to observe the fish with the trained eye of a medic.

It wasn't the first fish Fuu had 'burned out' but Tsunade had thought that the first time was just some strange fluke. In honesty the woman wasn't entirely sure why this kept happening; the girl had shown more than enough aptitude for medical training and her control was way above average. Even then she had never actually seen a case of the mystic palm technique doing something like this; it was a simply tool to alter one's Chakra to suit the needs of the situation. Of course that only made her frown deepen; it pointed to the fact that Fuu's Chakra was inherently corrosive.

"So when were you going to tell me you were a Jinchuuriki?" The question was so out of the blue Fuu couldn't help but freeze suddenly, her orange eyes going wide in shock. Tsunade on the other hand blinked in surprise when she noticed Naruto do something similar out of the corner of her eye; that was interesting.

"W-What?" Fuu's attention was now firmly away from the charred remains of her 'patient' and now solely on the slug princess, doing her best to school her face and hide her shock.

"Pfft, who do you think you are talking to? There are only nine people in the world that can exhibit Chakra as corrosive as yours yet show no signs of internal damage." Tsunade couldn't help her eyes from rolling in annoyance; really, she was the best medic in the world and the two didn't think she would eventually notice?

"Eh, you caught us." The older blonde raised an eyebrow at Naruto who was shrugging nonchalantly. "Fuu is the Jinchuuriki of the Nanabi no Kabutomushi." Tsunade just glanced at the girl who was now looking down at her feet and frowned. This was very serious; a Jinchuuriki out of their village on unsanctioned business, which this clearly was, could be grounds for war if they believed another country might be harbouring them. Last she knew the Nanabi was in the possession of Taki, a long time ally of Konoha; if they went to war then her village would be dragged along with them out of obligation.

While her care for her village had definitely waned over the years after the death of her lover and brother she couldn't deny a small part of her would always consider it her home. She had experienced the horror of two Shinobi wars; she never wanted to subject anybody to that if she could help it. The obvious thing to do would be to take Fuu back to Taki. Yet, as she looked down at the girl cowering under her penetrating eyes, no doubt fearing her next action, she couldn't bring herself to do it.

Jinchuuriki lived notoriously harsh lives under the scorn and hatred of their village, the Mizukage and the Kumo Jinchuuriki being notable exceptions. If Fuu had left her village it was obviously for good reason; she suspected Naruto had something to do with it. She could only feel sorry for the poor kid that the Fourth Hokage had stuck the Kyuubi in before he died, whoever it was. Jiraiya had been far too depressed when he had come to deliver the news of the Hokage's death for her to get a name from him.

"Hmm." Fuu flinched again at the woman's neutral hum; her immediate fate rested on the woman's next words. She was sure Naruto would come to her aid if anything were to happen, and she could take care of herself to a degree, but this was still Tsunade of the Densetsu no Sannin. The woman's penetrating green eyes continued to bore into the top of her skull for a few more moments before she finally released a small sigh.

"Well that explains why you keep killing the damn fish." Fuu blinked in surprise; of all the accusations, questions and possible actions she had been preparing herself for, that response was not one that she had imagined. "What you need to do is learn how to separate the bug's Chakra from yours, otherwise you'll keep injecting that poisonous stuff into them." She patted the younger girl on the back with a hard slap and her trademark training grin. "I'm sure you'll get it, we just need to up your training a bit." Fuu just blinked again, unsure of whether to groan like she might have only a few minutes ago or just sit there, dazed and confused.

When she turned to look at Naruto the blonde sported a small compassionate smile that managed to ease a few of the worries in her mind before he returned to his own exercise. Fuu found a small smile of her own creeping along her face; she felt oddly light all of a sudden.

* * *

It had been a month since the revelation over Fuu's tenant and the subsequent fallout. Naturally Tsunade was curious as to what else they might have been hiding from her so Naruto thought that was the best time to reveal his Rinnegan. He had come to trust Tsunade and Shizune over the time they had been together; while she may have been a harsh trainer she definitely showed her kinder moments. It helped that she had reacted favourably to Fuu being a Jinchuuriki; in the silence between the revelation and her answer he had been moulding his Chakra to make an escape if need be.

However he had thought it best he didn't reveal his own tenants; he was confident in his ability to keep them hidden from the older medic and it would only raise awkward questions for both him and Fuu. Knowing Fuu was a Jinchuuriki was one thing, knowing Naruto held five of the Bijuu, one from each major country on the continent, was an entirely different matter. Of course Tsunade responded to the discovery of his Doujutsu in a way he had come to expect... with more training.

"Ughh." The blonde grunted in pain but gritted his teeth as he deftly moved to the side to avoid the backhand that would have sent him crashing into a few trees. Tsunade stood across from him, a cocky smirk plastered over her face as she placed a hand on her hip.

"Getting tired already brat? You were the one who came to me asking to test out your new Taijutsu style." Naruto just spat out some blood in annoyance as he tensed his muscles again, feeling for the Chakra slowly flowing through his coils. It had seemed like such a good idea at the time; send earth Chakra through his body, hardening his skin and making himself more dense and therefore less prone to damage. So far it had show a good effectiveness against sharp weaponry as kunai that would have embedded in his limbs only gave him small cuts.

Unfortunately for him blunt force trauma was much more effective against him, able to reach past his earth-hardened skin to his more delicate and unprotected organs. He had come to Tsunade to try and either find a way around this or to increase the power of the ability and provide himself a stronger defence. Unfortunately it seemed to be a bit of a trade-off; the more he focused on hardening his skin the less he was able to focus on moving around. It was a very sedentary Taijutsu style, solely based on defence.

Right now he was trying to improve the time it took him to switch between Chakra natures, seeing how quickly he could go from agile and light to heavy and durable. It was why he kept getting sent trough the foliage in the clearing, he was too slow getting his defence up to block Tsunade's powerful fists in time. It didn't really help that the woman was taking this as an opportunity to 'take off the training gloves' as it were, using much more of her considerable strength than she normally would.

There was also the small fact Naruto kept getting distracted as he watched her move so gracefully. She really was the epitome of a Kunoichi, fast and poised yet powerful to the point she was famed for her strength. He could also see her Chakra as it moved, so calm and collected; only using the exact right amount for everything without anything wasted. It was incredible to watch the Chakra collect in her fist while it simultaneously strengthened the muscles and bones in her arm, spine, hips and legs while sticking her to the floor to avoid recoil, all in a split second.

He shook himself of his distraction as he ducked under a fast swing from the older blonde. It was embarrassing how much he could see she was holding back on her punches, no matter how much she said she was serious. As he scooted backward he twisted his body this way and that, regretting the stipulation he had put on the spar not to use his sand or Deva path. His eyes widened when he saw Tsunade's other fist coming out from his blind spot; he was only able to see it because he had a clone watching the spar in detail.

With no time to dodge and his normal reactionary responses out of the question he did the only thing he could. He sent as much earth Chakra to his arms as he physically could in the time he had and raised them up to block the blow. He already knew it wouldn't be enough before the woman's fist made contact; even so he was wholly unprepared. He could literally feel the shock travel down his arms, bending his bones slightly as he found his feet uprooted from the ground, despite the Chakra he had channelled there.

It only took him a few seconds to fly through the air but with the fresh throbbing pain in his arms, only dampened slightly by his defence, it felt much longer. Luckily he wasn't too out of it that he wasn't able to twist his body and land on a tree trunk as opposed to going straight through it. With a wince of pain he dropped to the ground again, panting slightly from both the strain on his coils from holding natured Chakra within his body and the blow itself.

"Hmpf, right now this new style isn't looking all that impressive." Naruto looked up to see Tsunade standing over him with her usual smirk as she held out a hand for him. He took it with a grateful smile only to wince again as she applied a little too much pressure to his forearm. He had noticed that while a smirk was never too far away from the older blonde's face, he could discern her emotions from it in the same way he could Fuu's emotionless facade. Right now she had what he liked to call her 'warm' smirk, the same one she got when she looked at him as if she was remembering some fond memory.

"Give it time; nothing ever came from doing no work." Tsunade just shrugged at that as she dropped back into a loose combat stance. She had no real Taijutsu style, mostly relying on her immense speed and strength; it wasn't exactly a crutch as they made her a truly fearsome opponent all the same.

"Whatever, it's a nice chance to let loose." Naruto smiled as he adopted the starting stance for his new style in progress, the Tsuchi no Mai. The two quickly got back into it, with Naruto doing his best not to get hit, or at least minimise the damage to glancing blows. Tsunade on the other hand was having a surprising amount of fun; she had thought that training these two kids might bring up a lot of bad memories but quite the opposite was true. It was like while she focused on them she didn't have to think about her past; she had even cut down on her drinking... slightly.

"Don't get distracted!" Tsunade had seen Naruto's eyes drift slightly again; she wasn't sure what it was he was thinking about but loosing concentration like that could be fatal in a fight. She made sure to rectify this by putting him through a few trees, after all nothing hammers a point home like a lingering ache. Naruto for his part merely widened his eyes slightly as he found himself in a familiar situation, facing down the business end of Tsunade's fist. Once again he was left with little option but to block the attack with his earth-enhanced arms.

'_Come on, harden the skin, harder than rocks, denser than stone...' _He gritted his teeth in apprehension, time seeming to slow around him as the fist came closer; he could see even more Chakra in the punch than before and right now he really did not want to be hit by that. _'...no, harder than that, dense like metal... strong...unbreakable!' _Naruto suddenly felt a surge of Chakra pulse outwards through his body as he found his arm rising up of its own accord.

"Asura Path!" There was a horrendous sound of twisting metal that screeched throughout the clearing as a sudden shockwave of displaced air blew outwards, picking up a large cloud of dust. When it finally dissipated it revealed Tsunade looking down incredulously at her fist, caught in Naruto's hand. A small crater had been created under his feet from the pressure but Naruto didn't even look injured in the slightest. Sure Tsunade wasn't going all out, Naruto would be a stain on the floor otherwise, but there was no way he should have been able to block her blows, never mind catch them.

"W-What?" Naruto seemed equally as confused as the older blonde, looking at the hand currently curled around Tsunade's fist with disbelieving awe. The older woman was the first to snap out of it as she pulled her hand back instinctively only to become even more amazed as she took a step back.

"What's going on brat?" Naruto just stood there frozen, staring at his hand wordlessly; it had a large indentation in the palm that looked as though somebody had driven a jackhammer into a metal wall. Before his very eyes it began to correct itself, the skin popping back out to normal as if the damage had never been there. Experimentally he moved his fingers, his eyes widening in surprise as they clacked against one another with a metallic ring. When the dent had fully 'healed' the clicking stopped as Naruto felt his hand return to normal, no sign that it had ever happened at all.

"Hey brat?" Naruto jolted out of his stupor as Tsunade waved a hand in front of his face before a large grin suddenly spread across his fox-like features.

"The fifth path!" He ran off suddenly in the direction they had made camp leaving Tsunade staring at the small dust cloud with his vague image, highly confused.

* * *

It was a few months before Naruto really got the hang of his new ability; but most of that time was experimenting with what he could do with his Asura path. After the adrenaline rush from the first time he realised it was actually rather disconcerting having parts of his body change into machinery and back. He could still technically feel things but it was like holding them through gloves, very cold, very solid gloves. The worst part was the switching between his normal body and whatever he thought of.

Other than that he found that the only real limits were what he could imagine; they even had a day where everybody would just call out random things that he would try to change into. It was similar to the first time he unlocked his Animal Path except far stranger for him and a lot more energy consuming. The first time he had discovered that he could fire off blasts of concentrated Chakra from various parts of his body had been a strange day. Needless to say he had marked that particular ability as a last resort.

He mostly used the ability in conjunction with his Tsuchi no Mai in order to harden his skin while diverting earth Chakra to solidify the rest of his body. It provided him with an excellent defence, one that required around sixty percent of Tsunade's strength before he would even start to feel impacts. They hadn't tried any higher than that in fear of doing serious damage but Naruto was sure he could take even more punishment which would hopefully improve as he came to understand and control his abilities better.

"Ahh." Right now Naruto was taking what he thought to be a well-deserved break from training, sitting outside of a small teahouse in the town they had stopped over in. Tsunade moved around a lot which wasn't too abnormal for Naruto and Fuu but the difference was that she rarely stayed anywhere for more than three days. It made Naruto appreciate the small comforts like having a relaxing cup of tea before going back to more tortuous training.

"Any good brat?" Naruto looked up to see Tsunade pulling out the chair across the table from him. It wasn't too unusual for her to come find him at times like these; Shizune had taken a particular liking to Fuu and the two often went off to train their medical Ninjutsu together. Shizune could relate to the younger girl as a fellow apprentice of the slug Sannin that wasn't truly prodigious like Naruto. Naruto also liked that Fuu finally had somebody else to talk to now other than him; the fact Shizune was also a woman was only a plus.

"Good enough." Tsunade nodded as she signalled for one of the passing waiters to bring her a cup. Naruto simply stared at her for a few moments with a raised eyebrow until the woman caught the look. "What? I'm allowed to have a drink other than Sake once in a while." Naruto simply shrugged indifferently as he took another sip from his cup, still keeping that rather incredulous look trained on the Sannin. They sat there in silence for a while, only the sipping of the tea breaking the monotony as Naruto thought about various things as he usually did. Eventually something caught his eye and Tsunade suddenly felt his eyes fall on her and looked up questioningly.

"I've never asked before, but what is the diamond on your forehead for?" Tsunade's brow rose for a moment as she instinctively reached up to gently touch the small symbol that had been a part of her for decades now; not that she would ever admit it was that long. She stared at Naruto appraisingly for a moment before sighing. As much as she was loathe to admit, having the two kids around really was helpful; she rarely thought of her deceased love ones as much anymore and she actually felt herself becoming somewhat happier.

The ever present need to distract herself in drunken stupors and loosing herself in the thrill of gambling, regardless of whether she won or not, had been dampened as of late. She felt genuinely lucky that the two had managed to find her, even if they had been somewhat annoying to begin with. Just the fact that Naruto was a once in a lifetime prodigy helped somewhat; he soaked up everything she taught him like a sponge; even the things she made intentionally too difficult for his 'level' were mastered when he really dug into them.

"It's my Yin seal." At Naruto's uncomprehending blink she sighed before elaborating. "It naturally collects my Chakra over time, siphoning it off from the Kaimon and storing it. When I release the seal my body takes the sudden influx of Chakra to activate my Souzou Saisei; with it I could regenerate from normally life-threatening injuries in a matter of seconds." Naruto nodded in amazement before frowning which earned a small smirk from the woman as she realised Naruto was thinking a bit more like a ninja, looking underneath the underneath.

"There must be some kind of drawback to a technique like that or else every ninja would have one." Tsunade's smirk grew as she leaned forward, her cup of tea forgotten for the moment as she studied Naruto's reaction intently.

"Go on then brat, use what I've taught you and work it out." Naruto frowned again as his hands clasped together in front of him. He had read enough medical scrolls to have a basic understanding of what Tsunade had told him but it seemed like an incredibly complex technique combining Fuinjutsu and Iryojutsu.

"Cells can only multiply a limited number of times..." Tsunade leaned back, a moderately impressed expression crossing her face briefly; she hadn't expected him to get it so quickly but then again, Naruto rarely conformed to people's expectations. "...that means using the technique would shorten your lifespan, maybe years depending on how severe the injury was." He looked down again in thought as Tsunade watched him curiously from behind her tea cup. "But you would also already need a large enough Chakra reserve that siphoning some off over the years wouldn't affect you detrimentally." Another smirk crossed over the woman's lips; now she was really impressed; she schooled her features though when Naruto looked back up.

"But why is it called a Yin seal and not a Chakra storage seal?" Tsunade blinked, she hadn't expected that question; just another example of Naruto surprising her yet again.

"Because it separates Chakra into Yin and Yang, only storing the Yin portion while the Yang circulates my body and disperses like normal Chakra." Naruto just blinked confusedly as he looked up at the little blue diamond on her forehead again.

"Yin and Yang?" Tsunade blinked in surprise, she had been operating under the assumption Naruto knew about the two halves of Chakra. Sometimes she really had to remind herself she was speaking to a twelve year old and not a colleague in the medical profession; it was just disconcerting that he could act so mature.

"That's right; I suppose Yin and Yang Chakra would be a little advanced for you." Naruto just nodded slowly, suddenly rather interested in the direction the conversation had taken for some reason. "You know that Chakra is composed of Physical and Spiritual energies?" At Naruto's nod she simply carried on. "Well Yin and Yang are a more powerful, more practical versions of those that you can actually use and control with enough practise. Many clan techniques that are not specifically Kekkei Genkai rely on Ying or Yang manipulation, just like many medical techniques are a subconscious use of Yang Chakra as a re-vitalising agent and Yin Chakra as a stimulant." Naruto blinked in surprise; there were gears in his head that were spinning rapidly but refused to mesh.

"Chakra is naturally composed of a combination of both Yin and Yang just like the two energies it is comprised of, however unlike those the combination of the two isn't necessarily even. Some people are more pre-disposed to Yang or Yin Chakra than the counterpart while some have a more balanced Chakra. There have been a few studies into it but right now it's still a fairly untapped field. Mostly we just know that Yin Chakra governs imagination and body while Yang Chakra governs form and life." Naruto's eyes suddenly widened in shock as the cogs finally meshed together and what Matatabi had said so long ago was beginning to make sense.

"So that's what I was missing." Tsunade looked up from her tea, having heard Naruto whisper something but not quite catching it.

"Huh, you say something brat?" Naruto suddenly jerked up in surprise before quickly composing itself; however Tsunade had already caught it.

"Uh yeah, I was wondering if you could teach me about separating my Chakra into Yin and Yang." Tsunade blinked as she took another small sip, her eyes narrowing slightly at the younger blonde. She knew there was something else on his mind but she somewhat trusted him to come to her if it was important enough.

"That's a very complicated aspect of Chakra manipulation you know, some people can't even do it due to having too much of one or the other in their system. " Naruto just smiled as he felt his nerves settling down; under the surface though he was bubbling with excitement. However Tsunade didn't know about the Banbutsu Souzou so he had to play it down for a few moments.

"I can handle it." Tsunade stared at him for a moment with calculating eyes before nodding with a smirk.

"Alright then." She took a small sip as Naruto breathed a small sigh of relief before it caught in his breath as he saw the smirk slowly travel along the woman's face. "Of course don't think you're getting out of your other training, this is just extra." There was a dangerous glint in the woman's eyes that made Naruto incredibly nervous for a moment and he quickly tried to divert the conversation.

"So in the Yin seal, how do you regenerate nerves cells?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow at the not too subtle change in conversation but decided to simply humour the boy; she was sure after a few more weeks of her 'training' he would be willing to tell her anything she wanted.

"Well now that's the interesting part isn't it..."

* * *

Naruto steadied his breathing for a moment, catching himself with a hand on the ground before he could completely collapse. He was already fairly exhausted from the training throughout the day and what he was attempting wasn't exactly Chakra-light. Fuu sat off to one side, watching him curiously as a blue glow faded from his right hand. She was there in case he completely passed out and as an excuse to Tsunade about the massive amounts of Chakra he was releasing; later on he could say they were sparring.

It had been around a month since he had started to learn about the properties of Yin and Yang Chakra and a few days ago he had finally succeeding in splitting it, even if for only a moment. It was why he finally felt confident enough to try what he liked to think of as the 'complete' Banbutsu Souzou. Unfortunately he didn't take into account just how monumentally draining trying something like that could be. Even maintaining the blue flames over his right hand that he now understood to be a representation of his Yin Chakra proved challenging.

"Maybe you should rest and try again tomorrow?" Naruto looked up with an appreciative smile at Fuu sitting across for him, obvious concern etched on her features as she looked at his even more obviously exhausted form.

"It's alright, I still have plenty in me." Fuu frowned, he certainly didn't look it; in fact he pretty much seemed to be running on fumes at this point and she didn't want him to overexert himself. She knew the only thing standing between the world and the five Bijuu contained within him was his Chakra and if he exhausted that then they were more likely to escape or for the seal to weaken. However she trusted Naruto not to go too overboard so sat back, ready to catch him if he went too far.

"Maybe I'm just being too ambitious creating something from the start?" He looked down at the black dust in his palm, letting it fall to the ground harmlessly as it dissolved away. He frowned for a moment as he thought about what he could do in order to ease himself into the technique that wouldn't completely exhaust his reserves. As he turned his head, looking around the small clearing they were in, he felt the Magatama earring he had gotten from Sora brush against the side of his head. Curiously he took it out of his ear and stared at it for a moment as if it contained all the answers to his problems.

"Hmm, I wonder." Fuu looked on curiously as the hand holding the earring began to glow with blue fire. For a moment she feared he had burnt away the earring, something he knew was a present from a close friend of his. Then his other hand began to glow, this time with an unnaturally crimson flame that contrasted with the fire in his right hand. Then, he brought the two together, clasping his hands over the small porcelain earring as it was enveloped in a roaring purple flame. A few beads of sweat managed to drop from his forehead as he concentrated intently and his breath became more laboured.

"There!" The flame suddenly died away, leaving a brief purple afterimage in Fuu's eyes that took a moment to clear. When it did she raised her brow at the two identical Magatama now sitting in Naruto's hand. The blonde seemed just as surprised as he looked at the two identical earrings. Quickly though his look of astonishment dissolved into a face-splitting grin. He could feel it; even though he could see and feel that there was absolutely no difference between the two it was more than that. He was no longer connected to the earring like he would be if it was just made from his Yin Chakra; it was a completely separate entity from him.

Experimentally he tried to revert either of the two into the black Chakra dust but found that he couldn't; he had really created something lasting in the world purely from his own Chakra. With that same grin stuck on his face his hand began to light up in blue flame again. He had some practising to do.


	41. Flames I

**Digi does not own Naruto, my son has much greater things in his future as a bringer of peace.**

* * *

**Sage**

**Book VII: Flames**

_"Where is the 'good' in goodbye?" - Anonymous_

* * *

The air was still and the trees had ceased their swaying for the moment as the small group made their way along the narrow but well-trodden road along the south-east outskirts of Hi no Kuni. It really was a peaceful day, with only the lightest hints of a natural fog blowing in from the nearby coast to ruin their view of it. Birds flew overhead and insects could be heard buzzing away in the forestry on their left; in all, the sounds of nature permeated the pathway and surrounded them on all sides.

"Urrgghh." Of course that wasn't the only sound to be heard; a woman's groan as she held her head also managed to disturb the delicate ecosystem around them. Tsunade didn't look so good as she walked along with a hand held perpetually to her temple, gently rubbing there as if she could simply will the headache away. They had to leave the last village they were in rather quickly due to one of Tsunade's debts having caught up to her and she hadn't had the time to do her usual hangover-removal technique that morning. Unfortunately for her it became less effective the longer she put it off and now she had to deal with an only somewhat dulled ache behind her eyes.

"Urrgghhhh!" Naruto simply sighed as he walked along behind the woman, shakujou gently jingling with each step as he soaked in what little silence he could between each successive groan. It gave him a lot of time to think over the past year he had spent with his latest sensei and sister-figure. The training for the most part was particularly brutal and Tsunade was rarely in a forgiving mood during it, but he was sure she had warmed up to both him and Fuu in the time they had spent together. He could literally see her smiling more and more as the weeks passed and turned slowly into months.

"Urrrrrrgggghhhhhhh!" His eye twitched lightly as another of the older woman's pitiful groans tore through his serenity as her unanswered plea for sweet release went ignored. While Tsunade had gotten better in terms of drinking and gambling there were just some personality traits far too deeply embedded in people to remove so easily. However he knew he had gotten through to her as she had opened up a lot more, especially in the past few months. In their free time and between training or practise she would regale them with stories from her early career; even a few more humorous ones from her Genin days.

"You know, if you stopped drinking so much you wouldn't have to deal with these headaches at all." Tsunade merely shot him a particularly evil glare; it had been a topic of conversation they had spoken about many times in the past only for it to go exactly the same way. Naruto would offer advice he thought helpful and Tsunade would completely ignore it. Shizune had once tried to get him to understand that the various 'less than reputable' actions Tsunade partook in were simply distractions from her memories but Naruto maintained there had to be a more healthy way to go about it.

"Maybe if you drank you would understand." The woman winced as her own words cut into her skull like a rusty knife through a piece of metal, returning to rubbing her aching temples. Naruto smiled lightly at that; it was another thing to come about of their time together. Tsunade had made many attempts to get both Naruto and Fuu to drink which were quickly rebuked by the small monk. Fuu, without his beliefs about clean body being tied with a clean mind and soul had tried some; it turned out it was nigh impossible to get a Jinchuuriki drunk. Their bodies simply purged the toxins from the alcohol too quickly for any noticeable affects to appear.

"Perhaps." Tsunade, despite her pained state, actually raised an eyebrow; Naruto usually put up more of a fight than that and his voice sounded strangely quiet. She had known him for a year now and while he could be calm and peaceful as one would expect a monk to be, he was also opinionated and quite brash at times, obviously the personality his training was suppressing to a degree.

"What's wrong with you brat? You're awfully quiet today." Naruto simply sighed; he wasn't sure if it was the stories about Tsunade's adventurous, and probably highly exaggerated, Genin days or something else but he was feeling terribly melancholic.

"I'm just thinking." He looked outwards toward the ocean as the group continued down the path, Fuu taking up the rear as she read through a small scroll Shizune had given her, however she kept an ear open to the conversation all the same. Naruto had noticed Fuu becoming a lot closer to him lately; quite literally. She would often stick by his side throughout most of the day unless training demanded they separate and often tried to sneak into his bedroom to sleep. Naruto wasn't sure what to make of it but he really didn't mind so he humoured the girl until she either got over it or decided to talk to him about whatever it was.

"I'll be thirteen in a few weeks, if I had stayed in Konoha I would be a Genin by now." Despite the group being quiet before the new silence that overtook them seemed far more oppressive. With Tsunade in the group bringing up Konoha was usually a conversation ender however it was a sore spot for everybody. For Shizune it was the home she hadn't been to in almost two decades and for Fuu it was the place that had hurt Naruto; but ultimately it was the same place that lead to him rescuing her. She often felt guilty for thinking that it was a good thing Konoha had been so cruel to him; otherwise she shuddered to think what might be happening to her right now.

"Yeah, I guess you would." Naruto looked up, surprised it was Tsunade who had spoken first. "That is, if you passed the graduation exams; I bet without all that fancy monk training you'd be some loudmouth idiot screaming about this or that and far too hyper to sit down and actually study." Tsunade snorted at her own joke before smiling sadly. She wasn't an idiot; it hadn't taken her long to realise the similarities between Naruto and the Fourth Hokage. She remembered Kushina too from before she left the village and often saw some of her traits shine through in their son.

He had his father's perception that she was sure he would most likely lack if it had never been honed and brought out in the Fire Temple. There was the occasional slip of the tongue in the form of a tick that was so reminiscent of the way the young red-haired Uzumaki had spoken. It almost pained her every time she heard him mention the fact he wasn't sure if he was a true Uzumaki or not, dreading to think what Kushina might have done if she had heard that. She wasn't entirely sure what Sarutobi was thinking keeping the boy's heritage from him but she still had a little faith in her old sensei; enough not to say anything yet anyway. It certainly didn't stop her from trying to drop the occasional subtle hint.

"Hey! I wouldn't be that bad!" Tsunade just snorted, turning away from the younger blonde as she continued on; the conversation was starting to become a little too loud for her anyway.

"Sure, I bet you would be addicted to ramen or some other unhealthy food as well." The woman smirked as they walked but it dropped from her face when there was no response from Naruto. She looked back only to see Naruto staring at the ground, his eyes low for a moment as he suddenly seemed a few years older. It passed almost as quickly as it was there but that hadn't stopped Tsunade from noticing.

"Nah, come on Fuu back me up here!" The girl looked up, startled out of her reading as she was suddenly pulled into the conversation.

"I, er..." She tried to shrink back into her scroll at the expectant gazes from Tsunade and Naruto. "I would rather not get involved." A small blush appeared on her face as Naruto flopped forward comically, none of the previous angst present on his face anymore.

"I can't win." Fuu smiled lightly before returning to her scroll; she was trying to understand how to better refine her Chakra and while Shizune was helpful, the scrolls were much more relevant to her situation.

"Heh, us girls have to stick together." Tsunade strode on with a little more confidence in her step; she could somewhat feel her headache abating in the fresh air and warm sun. They walked on for a little longer and the mist around them began to become stronger, blocking out the view more than twenty metres ahead of them. Naruto was looking around curiously; it reminded him a lot of their time in Mizu no Kuni, but with less loyalist forces trying to ambush them at every available moment.

"Should the mist be this bad out here?" Tsunade looked back over her shoulder at the young monk, her headache officially gone now that it was almost midday.

"Yeah, it's usually like this around here, it's because of Nami no Kuni just out to sea there." She pointed off towards the coast where the mist seemed even heavier. Naruto looked over curiously, trying to peer through the thick fog but to no avail; even his Rinnegan couldn't pierce the heavy veil.

"Nami no Kuni?" Naruto had studied a few maps but the smaller, less talked about nations hadn't really interested him all that much. Now that he was older and better-travelled he found himself more attracted to the so-called 'minor' countries. Tsunade simply waved her hand absently as she continued down the path. Currently they were heading in the direction of Batafuku Gai for a small gambling tournament that she had heard about.

"It's a little island nation, Hi no Kuni has some trade agreements with it but it mostly deals with fishing and ships. Some major cargo and shipping company set up shop there a while back and after that the country went sort of quiet." Naruto raised an eyebrow at that but Tsunade caught it and quickly waved him off. "Don't get any ideas kid, there's nothing mysterious about it; it'd fairly common for a small country to isolate itself for a while when they go through a bit of hardship." The woman hoped that would placate the blonde but she groaned when that gleam entered his eyes.

"Hardship?" Tsunade suppressed another groan; she felt as though she had dug her own grave with this.

"You're not going to let this go are you?" It wasn't really a question but Naruto shook his head anyway causing Tsunade's head to sag down.

"Look, I don't know much but apparently when that big shipping business moved in and set up shop the country practically shut down its borders, Only the company's ships got in or out but before the lockdown went into effect a few people made it out. It's mostly just rumours at this point but apparently there was talk of the villages on the island falling into hard times." She sighed as she looked back around, already predicating the determined look she would find on Naruto's face.

"Look kid, I already know what you're going to say and it's a bad idea. The affairs of an entire country are not your concern, don't make them your problem too; it's just not worth it." Naruto frowned at the older woman as he looked out in what he thought was the country's direction again, as if he could see all the way there.

"But don't we have an obligation to help them if they really are struggling? You're a medic!" Tsunade sighed again; sometimes Naruto was just too good for his own good.

"Naruto I am a medic, but I'm a Shinobi as well. And if there's one thing that lifestyle teaches you it's don't get involved in somebody else's business without compensation." She sighed, raising her hand to stop whatever it was Naruto was about to say next. "But I already know you brat, despite what you may think; you'll go off and help them no matter what I say." She sighed again, rubbing the bridge of her nose tiredly; when she had run out on the last town she never would have thought she'd have to deal with this. She should have just kept her mouth closed.

"Fine, you know what..." A small smile crept onto her face as she continued to rub the bridge of her nose; something that would have been impossible for her a year ago. "...consider this your first test." Naruto just blinked rapidly before a confused frown found itself onto his face.

"What do you mean? You have given us both tests before." Tsunade just gave a small smile; one Naruto hadn't seen since he first started travelling with the woman. It held hints of melancholy and he immediately knew she had lost herself in one of her memories; he just coughed to bring her out of it.

"In Konoha the Genin pass a test to graduate from the academy; it tests the abilities they should have learned there. However to become a Shinobi they have to pass another test that determines whether they can actually _use_ those skills practically; this is their true Genin test." Her melancholic smile turned into a smirk as some of her usual confident attitude returned to her. "This is your proper test; you know the skills, I've taught you enough for most Iryo-nin to make a solid base on in about a quarter of the time. Now you need to go see what it's really like for a medic out there." Her smile once again became saddened but it was gone almost as soon as it was noticeable.

"I thought we weren't supposed to stop until our training is complete?" Tsunade sighed as she turned around, continuing on down the path that seemed to stretch on endlessly into the mist.

"Who said anything about your training being complete?" The woman smirked again as Naruto and Fuu quickened their pace to keep up with her long strides; they were still kids with small legs after all. "There's more to training that just learning techniques and reading scrolls; experience is the most valuable training you can get. Only a naïve child believes that all they need to do is memorize a lot of facts to really learn how to accomplish something. You can't learn how to swim without getting in water can you?" Naruto was beside her so he couldn't see the slightly haunted look enter her eyes; she quickly shook herself of it though. Tsunade's words sounded confident and even planned but internally she knew that if Naruto went off to Nami no Kuni the chances of them meeting again were slim with no way to communicate.

She knew about his ability to summon things of course but the idea of suddenly being whisked away at any point didn't really appeal to her; she didn't know what she would be doing or how important it would be at the time. Naruto's range with his water-sensing ability had increased over the year but not to that extent and the further he extended it the harder it was to pinpoint a specific signature. She sighed sadly; the last year had been a good one; definitely one of the better in her life and she was actually remiss to see it end. As much as she would deny it Naruto and Fuu had really grown on her and not waking up to torment them with training or discuss different medical topics with Naruto would actually be strange; it would just be her and Shizune again, out on the road.

"I don't know what to say." Naruto just seemed shocked; he had never expected Tsunade to simply release them like this. Sure at first she hadn't been ecstatic to have them tagging along with her but bonds had been formed over the last year and he just didn't expect her to let them go so easily. Fuu seemed equally at a loss for words, or maybe she was just being quiet like normal; it was really hard to tell with that girl.

"Then don't say anything; goodbyes always get too sappy anyway." Naruto just smiled at that; he hoped Tsunade would never change too much. He would miss that slightly abrasive attitude; it was refreshing to have somebody to actually argue and discuss things with like equals. The group had stopped, now standing directly west of Nami no Kuni and if the fog wasn't present the dim outline of the coast would have been visible. Despite Tsunade's comment though Naruto quickly stepped forward, surprising the older woman as he wrapped his arms around her waist, tactfully avoiding placing his head between her cleavage.

"Thank you for everything Tsunade-sensei." The older blonde suddenly froze in the contact, memories of her younger brother suddenly assaulting her in a barrage. "I can't express how much I appreciate you teaching me over this last year; I know you didn't have to." He released the still frozen woman from the embrace with a large smile aimed up at her. "You've been the closest thing to a mother I've ever had." If Tsunade had been shocked before now she was nearly comatose; she actually staggered back as if Naruto had visibly struck her; shock written over her features.

"W-What?" Naruto paused a moment, confused by Tsunade's reaction before a small sad smile appeared on his face.

"I never knew my mother and the matrons in the orphanage avoided me as much as possible. The Hokage was like a grandfather to me but I've always wondered what it would be like to have a mother. I like to think that travelling with you is as close as I will get." Tsunade suddenly found her breath catching in her throat as she lunged forward, catching up Naruto in a bone-crushing hug; this time the younger blonde had no choice as his head was buried in the woman's expansive bosom.

"Damn you brat, I told you about the goodbyes." Tears were beginning to gather in the corners of Tsunade's eyes as she attempted to crush Naruto with her hug, the boy's face turning an unhealthy shade of blue as he gasped in air. She bit them back valiantly though as she finally released him, wiping away those that managed to escape quickly. She leant back up, coughing to clear her throat so she was sure it wouldn't catch when she talked. "Come on Shizune, I need to leave now before this gets all emotional." The younger woman, who had just finished saying goodbye to Fuu, nodded with a smile of her own on her face; she would be sad to leave the two kids she had come to see as younger siblings but ultimately her place was at Tsunade's side.

"Goodbye Tsunade-sensei." The Sannin gritted her teeth as she walked away and against her better judgement, as well as the loud voice in her head, she looked back one last time. Her breath nearly left her again as behind Naruto, she swore she could see the faint images of Nawaki and Dan, both giving her warm smiles as they rested a hand on the young monk's shoulders. She turned back around, striding off until the mist finally separated the two groups. Then, and only then, did she allow a single tear to slowly drift down her cheek.

"_Don't die Naruto."_

* * *

Naruto looked down at his hand as he and Fuu walked along the path in a different direction, hopefully towards a port town or a dock where they could get a boat over to Nami no Kuni. When she was hugging him Tsunade had managed to slip a small scroll into one of his pouches; he smirked as he walked, he hadn't even felt her do it. He slipped the scroll back into the pouch, making sure to remember to look at it later when they had some time. Instead he looked around, noting that the scenery hadn't changed; forest on one side, coast on the other and mist all around. In the absence of anything else his gaze drifted to Fuu, just watching her for a moment out of the corner of his eye.

She had grown up a bit in the last year, her frame starting to fill out as she reached the cusp of adolescence. Her clothing choice had changed again, returning to her white-on-white colour scheme that she had abandoned in Mizu no Kuni in favour of more camouflaging colours. She had also found a small orange hairclip in one of the towns they passed, matching the colour of her eyes, and had taken to wearing it to keep her now shoulder-length hair parted to the right with a long green bang sweeping down the rest of her face.

That wasn't to say Naruto hadn't changed; he too had grown with another year at his back; his spiky pony-tail was now dangling between his shoulder blades and his hair had become even messier. He had given up pretences of controlling it and now simply allowed it to grow wherever it pleased; the forehead protector from Nadeshiko village still kept it out of his eyes though. His training with Tsunade had also added some muscle onto his small frame; not too much but it was noticeable. He was more lean and athletic than muscled though which he felt was more appropriate.

"You know I wouldn't have stopped you if you had wanted to go with them." Fuu blinked, having been lost in her own thoughts as they walked only to be pulled out of them by Naruto's soft voice.

"What do you mean?" Fuu seemed genuinely confused but Naruto's lips twitched up into a smile anyway; there was that calculating look in her eyes that Naruto loved to see; it meant she was really thinking about a situation. It wasn't cold or cruel; Fuu simply liked to have as much information about a subject as possible; it was a trait the training with Tsunade and Shizune really brought out.

"If you had wanted to continue on with Tsunade and Shizune, complete your medical training with them; I wouldn't have stopped you." He didn't show it through his kind smile but internally Naruto felt slightly ashamed. In his rush to help the people of Nami no Kuni he had completely forgot about what Fuu might think; it was selfish of him and he was regretting it now. Fuu just stared at him a moment, her face betraying nothing of her thoughts whatsoever; she had a better poker face than he did. Naruto actually felt a little nervous at the way the girl kept staring at him, her captivating orange eyes holding her attention.

"I decided a long time ago that wherever you go I will follow." Naruto blinked at that, wondering when she made that kind of decision and whether or not she really thought it through. Then again he had never really known Fuu to make a decision rashly; she always thought things through before deciding on a course of action.

"But why?" He blinked again in surprise when the girl just smiled, turning and walking on; his question going unanswered. After a moment his wits caught up to him and he rushed off to catch up with her. "Wait Fuu, what did you mean?" The mysterious smile never left the girl's features as they two disappeared into the mist in the direction of Nami no Kuni.

* * *

_Fuu was sitting alone at the edge of the training ground that had been rapidly constructed at the new base the rebels had moved to. They had gotten word Yagura had mobilised troops in their area and had quickly deconstructed their camp and moved on. It happened every few weeks or so just to keep them one step ahead of the loyalists and it really made no difference to the Shinobi. To them the base wasn't a place, it was simply where their comrades were; where they laughed and drank together and simply enjoyed being alive for whatever time left they had._

_Right now though Fuu wasn't really feeling a part of it all; both Naruto and Shizuku had wasted no time in integrating themselves into the rebels gaining friends and allies alike. Naruto had encouraged her to try the same but it just wasn't a part of who she was; having friends was just an alien concept to her. Having people to rely on, to trust, possibly with her life; she just couldn't do that. She had lived too long by her own strength, living day-to-day by her own power and stubbornness to keep moving. Naruto had freed her from that but it was just too ingrained; the only person she could ever really trust was herself._

"_Hey there." She nearly jumped as a familiar voice suddenly pulled her from her thoughts, whipping her head around so fast it made Shizuku laugh. "Sorry, did I startle you?" Fuu merely grumbled incoherently to herself as she turned back around, Shizuku took that as an opportunity to sit down beside her. "It's a nice night, everybody's in the mess tent celebrating the raid on that supply caravan earlier today; what are you doing out here?" When Fuu didn't answer her for a few seconds she looked up at the sky; the mist had parted somewhat overhead, allowing the night sky above them full of stars to be partially visible, despite the thin rain making the little pinpricks of light slightly hazy._

"_I don't belong with them." It had been around a minute of silence between them so Shizuku was actually somewhat surprised when Fuu finally spoke. "I-I don't know how to talk to people like you and Naruto; I don't know what to say." Shizuku smiles softly at the other girl; she remembered being like that once, when the rains she carried drove people away from her. Naruto had changed all that; given her somebody to rely on, to trust and care about so that those problems just seemed less important and she hoped Fuu would eventually feel the same way._

"_Well hello is always a good start." She smiled but it lessened slightly when she saw Fuu was still just staring on ahead passively. "Give it time, these things don't come easily for a reason; important things never do." Fuu nodded slowly but didn't say anything, just looking over to the flickering lights of the rest of the camp, the occasional laugh or cheer carried on the wind meeting her ears. The two girls sat like that in silence for a while; despite the time they had spent travelling together they really didn't talk all that much._

"_Why do you follow Naruto?" Again the violette was a little shocked as Fuu suddenly spoke up, shattering the delicate silence between them._

"_What do you mean?" Fuu looked around for the first time, shocking Shizuku with how empty her eyes seemed; they completely lacked purpose or intent. She looked so lost Shizuku just wanted to reach put and pull the other girl into a deep hug and never let go._

"_You follow him for some reason; I just want to know what it is." Shizuku frowned worriedly at the tone in Fuu's voice; she hadn't seen the girl like this since leaving Taki and wondered if Naruto had noticed it. She took a deep breath, feeling as though her next words would be very important and she had to get them right._

"_I follow Naruto, because I just don't see myself not doing so." Fuu blinked once in confusion as her eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly, trying to figure out what Shizuku meant. "He saved me and at first I followed him because I felt indebted to him." Fuu nodded at that; she had felt somewhat the same after being rescued in Taki; she and Shizuku shard that much in common at least. "Then I followed because he was an escape. An escape from everything I hated." Fuu was back to confusion as she looked around at Shizuku; however the girl was already gone, looking away into the distance with a fond smile._

"_My life was so dull before he came along; a daily struggle to get enough food to keep going and enough money that I wouldn't be thrown out to the streets like I had seen so many others do. There was no sunlight back then, just endless stormy clouds. Naruto showed me something else, something different that was better, more exciting." He smile softened as her eyes traced random patterns in the ground. "And he did all this without once asking for something in return." He smile brightened as she turned back to Fuu, catching the girl's eyes with her own._

"_It might have taken me a while to realise, but I follow Naruto because there is nobody else like him in the world and I didn't want to miss a single moment with him. I will continue to follow him because I know, that at the end of it all, when I can't follow him any more for whatever reason, I will have no regrets." Her smile softened again as she broke eye contact with the verdette, looking down to her hands._

"_You think a lot of him then." Shizuku simply nodded once as her eyes flickered towards the sounds of laughter._

"_I meant what I said; there is nobody like Naruto." Fuu frowned as she nodded once; she suddenly had a lot to think about. "Now come on, you know Nezumiiro; we'll probably end up having to carry her back to her tent." Fuu nodded again, this time a little quicker as she joined Shizuku in standing up as the two slowly made their way back towards the main camp._

"_Thank you for that Shizuku." The purple haired girl just waved the thanks away with an absent flick of her wrist._

"_It's no problem, that's what friends are for right?" Fuu smiled softly as she released a breath she hadn't realised she had been holding._

"_Right, friends."_


	42. Flames II

**Digi doesn't own Naruto, that little Gaki with the delicious blood right? Eh, all those little brats look the same to me.**

* * *

**Sage**

_"If you don't build your dream, someone else will hire you to help them build theirs." – Dhirubhai Ambani_

* * *

"So this is Nami no Kuni." Naruto's voice wasn't all that encouraging as the two slowly made their way down a large street in one of the few villages dotting the small island nation. Naruto was reminded of a few villages in Mizu no Kuni during the rebellion, the ones that had the misfortune to be in the contested area between the two forces. The streets and connecting alleyways were awash with people dressed in obviously well-worn clothing milling about without purpose. The only people that seemed to have anywhere to go were the fishermen yet even they lacked any kind of energy in their movements.

"I never expected it to be this bad." Naruto looked around sadly as he saw a group of far too thin children sluggishly move past them, their sharp eyes no doubt darting around for potential marks to steal from. Storeowners leant hopelessly against the counters of their stalls, their produce meagre and their customers practically non-existent. It had nearly broken Naruto's heart when he walked up to a young woman manning a small vegetable store and her eyes practically lit up with him just buying a few apples. She had gushed uncontrollably with thanks while Naruto simply stood their awkwardly, unsure of how to react to such a thing.

"What could have caused all this?" To his right Fuu shrugged stoically but her eyes were still looking around, narrowed in anger at what had caused these people to live like this. The hopelessness, the fear, and submissive attitudes were all too familiar to the young Jinchuuriki; she had seen it in her own reflection enough times.

"I think we should be asking what we could do to help." Naruto continued to look around sadly for a few moments before a look of pure determination entered his eyes.

"Right then, where do we start?" He blinked when Fuu didn't answer and when he looked around she was gone. However when he looked back he spotted a flash of mint-green hair surrounded by a sea of small children. He nearly laughed outright as he saw his friend getting swarmed by a veritable tide of the little urchins. It seemed she had given out a piece of food to one of the kids as they walked through the village and word had spread quickly. With a smile he walked over to help Fuu seeing that she was vastly overwhelmed.

"Ah, excuse me." The blonde suddenly froze as ten pairs of eyes suddenly latched onto him, or more specifically the apple held in his hand. "Um, can I get to my friend?" All the eyes flickered back to Fuu who now looked rightfully frazzled, as if she had walked into a small hurricane. A young girl moved out of the group, she couldn't be more than seven or eight with spiky and unruly brown hair, wearing a shirt more than a few sizes too large for her that hung off one shoulder.

"Do you have any food mister?" Naruto found his gaze softening as those large, dark blue eyes gazed into his own and couldn't help but quickly hand over the apple in his hand. The little girl simply stared at him for a moment before her face lit up in an enormous beaming smile. She rushed forward in small legs and wrapped her stubby arms around him as best he could in a haphazard hug. As quickly as it happened she let go and rushed off, he hoped to her home but from the state of the children around them he figured they were most likely orphans.

Eventually, after handing out a healthy amount of their food to the little kids the two could move on again, not that they had any real destination. Fuu fell into step beside him, looking a little rattled from her encounter with the swarm of homeless kids. Her eyes were down and she looked to be in deep thought as they walked, mostly ignoring what was around them; she wasn't sure what she would do if she looked for too long.

"We can't just hand out food to everybody we come across, you know that won't help anything." Naruto sighed but nodded slowly nonetheless, it was the beginnings of the conversation they had had about the exact same subject in Mizu no Kuni.

"I know that but unless there is some kind of rebellion we can join what else can I do?" Fuu looked back up, a hint of steel in her orange eyes, the same determination in her eyes as when she wanted to find Tsunade.

"We find out what caused this and stop it." Naruto sighed but nodded to at least humour his friend, he somehow didn't expect it to be nearly as easy as Fuu tried to make it sound. Last time they helped change a nation, hopefully for the better, they had an entire army with them and they still lost a friend. Now it was just the two of them, facing against an unknown enemy with only what supplies and skills they could bring with them.

"Come on, we'll go get something to eat, it will help us think." Fuu barely even acknowledged him, she was too busy glaring on ahead, obviously too lost in thought over what she would do when she found out just what caused all this. They kept walking through the village until they ended up at a small udon noodle stand near the outer limits of the town. He picked it because it looked even more run down than the rest, business obviously suffering in whatever economic troubles the nation was going through. He sat down on one of the well-worn stools only to blink in confusion when there was nobody behind the counter. He drummed his fingers on the counter for a few minutes, waiting for somebody to come out only to hear scuffling in the back of the stand.

"You're hearing things old man, nobody comes by here any-" The young girl froze as she emerged from the small doorway leading into the back of the stand, her mouth agape at the sight of not only one but two customers sitting in front of the stand. "Uh..." She just stared for a few moments giving Naruto a few minutes to take her in. She was around their age with lank brown hair that stretched messily down her back, tied back with a small white bandana, spotted with grease. She wore a similar apron over her long blue shirt and baggy brown pants. "Oh! I'm sorry." She suddenly scrambled abut, grabbing a pen and paper frantically before standing before them, a well-practised but still genuine smile across her dirt-smudged features.

"I'm Mirabi, can I take your order customer-san." Fuu nodded slowly, still barely paying attention as she absently motioned to the prawn udon on the small board behind them. The girl nodded happily as she wrote it down before turning to Naruto expectantly. "Um, customer-san?" Naruto gulped slowly before blinking himself out of the stupor he had suddenly found himself in. For a second there, when the girl was still half shrouded in darkness it wasn't Mirabi standing there, smiling pleasantly at him, but Ayame instead.

"Ah, yes, I'll have two beef." The girl nodded energetically again, scribbling the order down with practised ease before ripping the small page up and tacking it to the board behind her.

"Your orders will be right with you." With that she disappeared around the back of the stand again, quickly followed by the sounds of pans being rattled around and various cooking equipment being turned on. Naruto and Fuu sat there in silence for a few more minutes, Fuu brooding and Naruto trying to sort out what he saw before sighing. A small part of him knew that the memories of Ayame and Teuchi wouldn't leave him but he didn't think they would come back to haunt him like that. He had been about to shout in happiness at seeing her, reverting six years of training and growth in a few seconds.

"Here we go; one prawn and two beef." The girl emerged again after a few minutes, expertly balancing the three bowls in her hands and in the crook of her arm, looking a bit sweatier from the hot equipment she was working with and a few more grease spot dotted her apron. Naruto politely nodded while Fuu grunted her semi-intelligible gratitude before idly playing with the noodles with her chopsticks. Mirabi leaned against the counter, looking at the two expectantly as they ate, mostly Naruto though as Fuu was just picking at hers.

"So what brings you here? You're obviously not from Nami no Kuni." Naruto just smiled through his mouthful before swallowing.

"We're just travelling, heard Nami no Kuni was a good place to be right now." Mirabi just smiled sadly as she played with the hem of her apron.

"I'm afraid you were misinformed then. I'd recommend you leave Nami soon, it's just not a good place for anyone to be right now." Naruto just continued to eat but a small frown flickered over his face, quickly hidden as he sighed out in appreciation.

"The noodles are very good." Mirabi gave him a beaming smile as she lightly flicked him across the face with a nearby cloth.

"Well look who's a flatterer; I don't think your girlfriend would be all that impressed if you kept that up." Naruto nearly choked on the mouthful of noodles as he spluttered in surprise.

"Oh what? No, Fuu isn't my girlfriend, we just travel together." Fuu didn't seem to have even noticed, just continuing to idly pick at her food in thought. Mirabi simply gave the two a sceptical look before shrugging nonchalantly; she was mostly glad for the opportunity to actually talk to people.

"Alright, thanks for the compliment anyway, it's my father's recipe but I made them myself so I'll take all the praise I can get. Naruto just gave a small nod as he hid his embarrassment with another mouthful of noodles.

"So is he about so I can complement the recipe?" Mirabi just sighed as she leaned on her elbows, playing with the edge of the cloth boredly.

"Nah, the old man's been holed up in bed with a fever for a while now." She sighed again, more deeply and with more frustration this time. "Not like there are any customers for business to take a hit anyway." Naruto just widened his eyes slightly, slurping down the rest of the sauce his bowl with a satisfied sigh.

"Maybe I could help, my friend and I know some medical Ninjutsu." Mirabi looked up in surprise, not having expecting such an unassuming person to know such advanced techniques, especially somebody her age.

"Oh, I uh, I couldn't ask you to do that." She looked down guiltily as she fiddled with the hem of her apron again. "We wouldn't have anything to pay you with." Naruto just gave a short laugh, using his last piece of beef to wipe up some broth from his bowl before happily eating it.

"It's all right, we're just happy to help." Mirabi simply looked at him for a while with scrutinising eyes, a habit gained from too many dishonest people making such false promises in her life. However there wasn't a hint of deceit on Naruto's features, just a compassionate smile. Her shoulders finally relaxed as she motioned to the back of the stand, grabbing the two bowls Naruto had left on the counter and placing them in the back sink for later.

"If you really would that would be great. Medicine is too expensive for us right now and I think he's been getting worse lately." Naruto just nodded, his training kicking in as he noted the symptoms, narrowing down what he could be dealing with. He looked over only to see Fuu hadn't even touched her food and she still had that faraway look on her face. He sighed, not having expected Fuu to be like this surrounded by things like this; she hadn't acted this way in Mizu no Kuni so he wasn't sure what she was thinking about.

Mirabi brought them around to the back of the stall, a small room with a couch and a small table with two doors leading off to what he presumed was a bathroom and a bedroom. Once again he had to quell the nostalgia welling up inside of him; while it wasn't identical, the familiarity of the room was unquestionable. He could see his seven year old self laughing happily as Teuchi told him stories of when he was still a young chef, striking out on his own to find the perfect ramen recipe. Ayame would watch from the corner of the couch, smiling warmly at them both and giggling every time her father would make a fool of himself just to get a laugh from the young blonde.

"So um, your father?" Naruto tore his eyes away from the room and pulled himself from his memories; it would do him no good to be distracted now.

"Yeah, the old man's back here." She moved over towards one of the doors while Naruto smiled lightly at the disrespectful but affectionately-said name for her father. Walking through into the bedroom Naruto half-expected the man to be some clone of Teuchi, now sure that Kami was messing with him. Luckily, and thankfully for Naruto, he looked nothing like the old ramen chef; instead he was a tall man with steel-grey hair and an unruly beard. Naruto imagined that when standing he would pose quite the intimidating figure.

"Ah, so my ears weren't deceiving me; we really did have customers then." He smiled up congenially at the two before looking across at his daughter, a questioning look on his face. "Mirabi, what's going on?" The young brunette looked down sheepishly, fumbling with her hands as she suddenly became nervous under the penetrating gaze of her father.

"Um, they said they knew medical techniques, and with your fever getting worse-" She was suddenly cut of as the man let out a barking laugh, his eyes sparkling with the mischief of a much younger man. Naruto had to admit he didn't look particularly sick, nor did he seem feverish; although he didn't have a basis of what he was usually like.

"Now now, it's just a passing bug; there's no need to be calling in the medic just yet. I may not be as spry as I used to be but this old horse has plenty more years in him." Naruto smiled and gave a small nod but was already moving towards the bed anyway.

"That may be the case but it's always better to be safe than sorry right?" The older man looked at the young monk for a few moments before a face-splitting grin passed over his face.

"Pfft, playing it safe is for those too cowardly to take a leap forward in life. Anyway, we would have nothing to pay you with, you know, being dirt poor at the moment." In the corner Mirabi's eyes opened wide as she spluttered for a moment.

"Dad!" The older man just paused for a moment before laughing again.

"Don't be like that Mira-chan, it's nothing to be ashamed of; it's not like it's our fault. You know that if people had the money they would be flocking far and wide to our little stand." A melancholic spark entered his eyes as he stared up at the ceiling. "Best udon noodles in the world!" Naruto just smiled sadly for a moment before his hand began to glow green with medical Chakra.

"Don't worry about paying us, we're just happy to help." The man just stared at Naruto with a calculative stare for a few seconds before shrugging with that same childish grin that was too young for his grizzled face.

"Well in that case go right ahead." In the corner Mirabi just planted her face in her hands, her face tinged red in embarrassment while her father chuckled. "Never turn down free help, that's what Mikano always taught me." Despite his curiosity Naruto didn't ask and instead just began to run his glowing hand along the man's body. The symptoms so far were vague and generic so he just decided to do a full scan and sort out what was wrong from there. The Mystic Palm technique was a strange one as the information from the scan would be translated directly into his mind, yet it was in a manner only a trained medic could actually discern anything from the seemingly useless jumble of information. It was like looking at a code; there was useful information there but you had to be trained to see it.

"So what symptoms have you been exhibiting and for how long?" Naruto didn't really have to know but Tsunade had told him light conversation would put a patient at ease, making their body relax and diagnosis easier.

"Oh nothing much, I got a small headache a few weeks back, nothing too serious; unfortunately it kept coming back every few nights. Then, about a week ago I got one little tiny fever and my daughter was practically beside herself with worry." He sent a poignant look at his daughter who at this point seemed to have gotten over her embarrassment and was just standing there with her arms crossed.

"Well excuse me for being worried you old goat!" The man simply laughed again jovially.

"Hah! Her mother's daughter through and through." Mirabi just groaned but a small smile was playing on her lips from behind her hands. Naruto smiled at the interaction and continued to scan the man up and down, before frowning as he rested it over the man's chest. His technique flickered for a moment as he tried to discern what he was seeing before finally letting it drop, allowing his features to fall into a more professional mask.

"Have you been having any chest pains?" The older man blinked once before scratching his head in thought.

"Well my old body's got its occasional ache sure but I always thought it was some old injury acting up; I used to be a mercenary see. But uh, yeah I suppose I've been having the occasional chest pain." He looked away sheepishly as he noticed his daughter's suddenly penetrating gaze. "Why?" Naruto just frowned as he passed a glowing hand over the man's chest one more time just to be sure.

"You're developing a small clot in the artery leading to your heart; it's raising your blood pressure which is the cause of the fevers and headaches. It's nothing to be too worried about, there's a simple herbal remedy that should break it up within a few weeks and allow it to harmlessly disperse in your blood." The older man just smiled happily at that, scratching his head again.

"Well that's good isn't it?" Naruto just gave a small nod before looking away for a moment; he had never had to deal with a patient directly and it was harder than he imagined, even after seeing Tsunade do it.

"If it hadn't been noticed it would have continued to grow, eventually blocking the artery; if you didn't suffer an immediate heart attack the added pressure would have put a serious strain on your heart, most likely rupturing the blood vessel and causing you to bleed out internally." The man suddenly gulped in surprise as his eyes widened.

"I would have died?" Naruto nodded sadly before straightening up with what he hoped was a warm smile.

"But like I said, it's nothing to worry about now; I'll give you the recipe for the medicine and as long as you take it twice a day you'll be able to work again in around a week. Most of the herbs should grow in coastal regions so you'll be able to find them quite easily." The man simply nodded numbly as Naruto quickly scribbled down the recipe for the medicine as well as how to prepare it properly before leaving it on his bedside table.

"Um well, I'd say the meal was on the house but uh, we really do need the money you know." The man chuckled boisterously, obviously trying to hide his sudden shock which didn't seem to last long as he sighed. "Really, as a young man I always thought I'd go down swinging, losing in honourable combat with a worthy opponent. To think a little bit of dried blood was nearly the end of me." He looked forward for a moment, unseeing before shaking his head of it. "Heh, well now it seems I'm in the awkward position of being indebted to you." Naruto just smiled congenially as he slid his small pad of papers back into a pouch.

"There's no need for that, really." Suddenly though Naruto looked p, a finger coming to his chin in thought. "Well actually, I wouldn't mind some information." The man on the bed sighed gratefully, bringing a hand up to his forehead in a highly over-exaggerated display of relief.

"Well that's good, I thought I would have to give you Mira-chan for a second there-" He was swiftly cut off as a pillow struck him firmly in the face, a blushing and fuming Mirabi glaring at him murderously. Naruto simply chuckled at the scene as the older man removed the pillow from his face, hardly looking apologetic for his joke. "So what do you want to know?" Naruto let his face become impassive and professional as he took a seat to the man's right.

"Just what happened to Nami no Kuni?"

* * *

Naruto left the small udon stand feeling troubled, the news he had gotten about Gato and all the terrible things the man had done to the village kept playing over in his mind. When Isaki, as he had found out the man to be called, had spoken of Nami before Gato shipping came along his eyes had been full of pleasant melancholy. However talking about the man or what he had done there was only anger and hatred. He sighed wearily as he walked back out into the street, Fuu hot on his tail. He felt slightly worried about the girl, not knowing what was going through her mind as she walked behind him in silence.

"Is something wrong Fuu?" The verdette finally looked up from her brooding, staring at Naruto uncomprehendingly for a few seconds before blinking,

"Ah, I apologise, I was lost in my thoughts." Naruto smiled pleasantly as he slowed his pace until the two were side by side.

"Anything interesting?" Fuu stared for a moment again, obviously weighing her words carefully as she always did. Sometimes he liked that she was slow and meticulous with everything but it often didn't help conversations along.

"To be honest, I was thinking about the many ways I would like to deal with this Gato person." Naruto stopped in the middle of the street, sighing into his hand.

"And by 'deal with' you mean-"

"Kill." Naruto blinked at the blunt response before walking again; the two needed to find a place to rest for the night and he had yet to find an open inn. They all seemed to either be closed down, obviously from lack of travellers, or in too much of a state of disrepair to even be safe stepping inside.

"You know it's not that simple Fuu, killing him will not make this country's problems just vanish. Disasters don't die with the person who caused them." Fuu huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest, putting more emotion into the gesture than he had seen from her for a long time.

"It solved Mizu no Kuni's problems." Naruto just frowned as they continued to walk; he looked around at the street they were on, trying to imagine how it must have looked in the days before Gato. He could see the faint images of men and women hurrying about with business while children laughed and played in the streets; now it was simply barren and empty.

"And in Mizu no Kuni there was an entire army of rebels ready to come in and fill the void left by Yagura's death. That doesn't exist here." He stopped gesturing around to the empty street, the houses all having their blinds drawn and doors locked. "Look around Fuu, you heard what Isaki-san said, these people have lost their hope, their spirit. Unlike Kiri, they don't have the will to fight back." He shook his head sadly. "With them like this, killing Gato would only ensure the country a slow death with nobody there to take his place and actually be a true leader to them." Fuu frowned at that but couldn't find it in her to argue with Naruto; he often spoke with such conviction it was hard not to believe what he was saying.

"Are you saying there is nothing we can do?" The serious look abated from Naruto's face as his gaze turned warm, a soft smile filling the space on his features.

"Of course not, I'm just saying we cannot act brashly about this. For now, we simply do what we can to help the people, like you must treat the symptoms of a disease to better understand it." Fuu looked at him for a few silent moments before nodding firmly; when he spoke that way she could almost see the determination rolling off of him in waves.

"Alright." Naruto just smiled at the girl as he held put his hand, giving her a moment before she tentatively accepted it. Touching other people in such a non-violent manner was still rather strange for her, even after all this time.

"Good, now let's find somewhere to sleep." Fuu just gave another small nod, a little smile of her own playing about her features as she gazed at her hand, held firmly within his.

* * *

Luckily for them Naruto managed to find a small temple on the outskirts of one of the smaller, coastal villages on the island. The elderly monk that lived there was surprisingly hesitant to allow them to stay but once Naruto made it clear all they needed was a place to rest at night he was much more hospitable. It saddened the young blonde to think that even one of his fellow monks had been hit so hard by the recent bad times that had descended on Nami no Kuni.

He blinked his bleary eyes open, sighing as he looked out at the morning sunlight streaming in through the bare and disused blinds. They were sleeping in the currently unused dojo of the temple that had been covered in dust and cobwebs that they had to clean up before sleeping. Apparently the old monk that lived here only had enough money to keep a single room clean, the one he stayed in and meditated in. Naruto didn't mind too much, it wasn't much to ask of them for a place to stay over the night; as much as he liked sleeping under the stars he would always prefer to sleep indoors.

"Good morning Naruto." He sighed as he turned on his side, only then noticing the warmth that hadn't been there when he fell asleep. Sure enough he found himself staring into Fuu's sleepy orange eyes as they stared back at him, unabashed. A year ago he might have jumped away, spluttering and blushing for reasons he couldn't comprehend, now he was just used to it. He had hoped Fuu would grow out of crawling into his bed at night but unfortunately she hadn't so he had just come to accept it; it wasn't like it was unpleasant, just strange.

"Good morning Fuu." He turned away, sitting up and stretching out his back with a few satisfying pops as a reward. Fuu quickly did the same before standing up, Naruto naturally turning away out of politeness; Fuu didn't tend to wear all that much when she slept, at least when she remembered to wear anything at all. Naruto had tried to correct her on this but honestly he thought she simply ignored him, always stating it was much more 'comfortable' her way. Any further protests he might have had were silenced when she told him to try it before he judged; that tended to quieten him down.

Instead he pulled on his own clothes quickly, running a hand through his hair if only to check that it was still just as messy as always; he wasn't disappointed. Quickly he tied his hair back into his loose ponytail before putting in his earring, always right by his side when he woke up. He smiled as he just breathed in for a moment, enjoying the peaceful serenity of the morning as he walked over to open up the sliding door that lead outside. That peace lasted all of a few seconds as he opened it only to find himself facing a veritable crowd of people all staring at him. There was a moment of tense silence before...

"That's him!"

"Please can you help me!"

"My father, my father is sick!"

"Did you really heal Isaki-san?"

"My little baby Mata, please save her!"

Naruto just stared wide-eyed at the throng of people all shouting at him, various pleas for aid and healing becoming nothing more than a jumble of words as each person clamoured over the other. He gulped as he raised his hands, almost instantly bringing silence to the crowd as they all stared at him expectantly.

"Um, what's going on?" There were a few whispers from within the sea of people before an elderly woman, probably in her late sixties with greying hair pulled back into a tight bun stepped forward.

"Are you the Naruto who saved the life of Isaki-san without asking for pay?" Naruto just blinked a moment as he stared out at the crowd again with their expectant eyes all looking back at him hopefully.

"Um, yes?" Almost immediately the cries returned as people practically shouted and begged for him to heal either themselves or somebody close to them. Naruto just took it all in with shock before groaning internally; he should have known news would spread on such a small island nation.

* * *

He slid to the floor with a dejected thud, exhausted and barely able to keep his eyes open. The people had been relentless in their pursuit of his help; he had tried to organise them somewhat to find out what the most pressing issues were but of course everybody thought their problems worse than everybody else's. In the end he hadn't even managed to get to even a quarter of the people by the end of the day and knew more would be back by tomorrow. He knew that without Fuu's help he probably would be already passed out on the floor by now.

He had vast Chakra reserves but having to consistently use small, precise amounts through various medical Jutsu over a wide-range of problems, both severe and trivial, was taxing on him and strained his coils. Fuu wasn't much better than he was, her hair was a mess and her body glistened with sweat from how hard she had been focusing just to perform the Jutsu themselves. Although Naruto had to admit it was good practise; the problems people had were varied and diverse and it was a good test or his knowledge and skills.

"Ano, is anybody here?" Naruto groaned a little before looking across at Fuu, the verdette simply lay there against the wall, snoring cutely in blissful sleep as he head lolled to one side. He pulled himself wearily to his feet before sliding the door open, somewhat surprise by what he saw. It was a young woman, perhaps in her late twenties or early thirties with long flowing black hair that cascaded down her back. She wore a loose fitting t-shirt and a long blue skirt and bore a nervous look on her face as she looked down at him.

"Hello?" The woman's eyes widened as she looked down at the small blonde boy before her; he looked positively exhausted. He was hardly the 'miracle healer' that she had pictured; he was barely a few years older than her son in fact.

"Ah, are you Naruto-san by any chance?" The boy managed a small smile as he ran a hand through his hair, trying and failing to alleviate some of his fatigue.

"Yes, that's me; how can I help?" The woman's eyes widened again as she suddenly seemed very nervous about being there.

"Ah, it's alright; you're tired and um, I should come back some other time." She almost turned to go but Naruto managed to stop her by grabbing her hand.

"It's alright, really; now what's your problem?" The woman looked down at him for a few moments, biting her lip anxiously before sighing with a kindly smile.

"If it isn't too much trouble could you perhaps take a look at my son?" Naruto gave her an equally warm smile as he ducked inside the temple again, returning with his shakujou in hand.

"Of course, I am happy to help..." The woman's eyes widened again as she got the hint.

"Ah yes, it's Tsunami."


	43. Flames III

**I would say Digi doesn't own Naruto but he's been uploading so infrequently lately that I don't even think it matters anymore; ah well.**

* * *

**Sage**

_"You will not be punished for your anger; you will be punished by your anger." - Buddha_

* * *

"I really am sorry about keeping you so late Naruto-san, I know you must be tired after all you've done today." Naruto just smiled back at the woman as they walked through the small village. The fact the sun was only just beginning to descend over the horizon was rather disheartening as it felt much later to the young blonde. It really was taxing to perform so many medical Jutsu over an extended period; it was especially bad when most of the time he was simply diagnosing harmless coughs.

"I've already said it's okay; it's not too late in the day after all." Tsunami simply nodded hurriedly as they continued on in silence; occasionally they would pass somebody in the street but they would only hurry pass, ignoring Tsunami's polite nod in their direction. Naruto had a small frown playing at his features as they walked; many of the cases he and Fuu had looked at over the day had been malnutrition or diseases associated with certain deficiencies in diet. It really worried him just how poorly these people seemed to be living while nothing was being done to help them, at least as far as he could see.

"So Tsunami-san, what is wrong with um, Inari was it?" The woman nodded again as they turned out of the main street and onto a less-used path that was still well trodden.

"Ah, I'm not sure if it is anything serious but with what I heard about Isaki I felt I had to be sure. He had a fever a few days ago and has been complaining of stomach aches ever since." Naruto simply nodded at the information; from that he would guess a simple stomach bug but first observations could be misleading. From the conditions of the island and the state of the people it could be anything from cholera to a rare virus; although it seemed unlikely.

"I can see you care about him a lot." Tsunami simply smiled softly, her head drooping in slight embarrassment at the direction the conversation had taken. She was unused to having such a mature conversation with somebody so young.

"Yes, I love my son more than anything." Naruto gained a smile of his own at that as the trees began to thin out and a small but still cosy house came into view in the dwindling sunlight. "What about you Naruto-san? Do you have anybody like that?" Naruto actually looked up at the woman in surprise but found her to be looking at the house instead, her footsteps subconsciously quickening as she neared her home.

"There have been a few people very precious to me over my life." His voice still held its warmth but his tone was more clipped than usual as the neared the house. Tsunami didn't pry any further as she fished about for her keys before letting Naruto into a small but well-furnished living room, at last in comparison to the rest of the village.

"Please excuse the mess, my father tends to leave things laying about and I haven't got around to cleaning just yet." Naruto simply waved her off as he stepped over the threshold, his brow immediately rising in surprise as he spotted the numerous bottles scattered about the tables and even the floor in a few places. From the smell he knew they were sake bottles and a few only seemed partially emptied, the stains on the carpet showing it wasn't the first time.

"That's not a problem. Is your father about?" Naruto was thinking about having a chat with the man about drinking so excessively with a child in the house that could easily get to the alcohol.

"Ah no, my father Tazuna left the island yesterday on business." Naruto nodded absently as he continued to look around the small room in interest, waiting for Tsunami to invite him upstairs. Tsunade had always told him to let clients set the pace for things to put them more at ease; apparently it was a condition applicable in both the medical and Shinobi profession. Tsunami seemed to have forgotten about that though as she stood there, wringing her hands rather nervously, the topic of her father's work obviously making her anxious.

"I uh, I suppose you have heard of Gato by now?" Seeing Naruto nod his head once Tsunami sighed slightly before slowly making her way towards the stairs at a languid, unhurried pace. "Well my father is a bridge builder, one of the best if you were to believe his wild stories." A soft smile briefly graced the woman's face before it was gone, replaced by a saddened expression. "He hopes that by building a bridge to the mainland he can get past Gato's naval blockade and finally allow some trade into our nation." Naruto looked up, surprised but in a pleasant way.

"That seems like an excellent idea." He sighed to himself happily, somewhat relieved at the news there really were people that maintained their hope here.

"Yes, however..." Naruto groaned internally; there was always a 'but' "...Gato knows this and continues to try and make my father's life as difficult as possible. Of course he cannot bar my father directly as it is a nationally funded project but that doesn't stop him from sending his thugs to harass the workers and their families." The woman glanced down again sadly. "Already the majority of them have had to quit in fear of losing what little they have left, although in truth I cannot blame them." Naruto simply nodded neutrally as they crested the staircase, Tsunami immediately making a beeline for the first door to their left.

"I see; that really is problematic." Tsunami could only hum in agreement as she quietly opened the door, peering in to check on her son before opening it the rest of the way.

"Inari-chan, are you up?" Naruto curiously looked around the doorframe, spotting a young boy a few years younger than he was with messy black hair sitting up on a futon.

"Mom, who's he?" Naruto just smiled warmly as he stepped into the room, doing his best to exude a non-hostile air about him in order not to frighten the boy.

"Hi Inari, your mother told be you were having stomach aches." The young boy simply looked up at the blonde suspiciously before his gaze drifted to Tsunami curiously. "She was very worried about you and asked me to help so I'm here to do what I can." Inari once again looked at Naruto for a few seconds, crossing his short arms over his chest as his eyes narrowed.

"What do you know? You're not that much older than me!" Naruto just chuckled softly as he walked over, the small comforting smile never leaving his features as he had been taught when dealing with children.

"Age can be deceptive Inari. Did you know most Shinobi become Genin when they're only twelve years old?" From behind him Tsunami blinked in surprise at that; even she hadn't known that as the inner workings of hidden villages were guarded secrets from anybody but potential clients. She was trying to imagine her own son becoming a cold blooded killer, trained in stealth and assassination at such a young age, and she frowned at the appalling idea.

"Really?" A sudden look of interest had entered the boy's eyes as he thought about all the cool stories and tales he had heard about Shinobi growing up.

"Yeah, some are even younger than that." Inari sat up straighter, his attention now fully on Naruto; as he was speaking though Naruto had already lit his hand up in a dim green glow and was slowly moving it back and forth just above the boy's chest.

"No way!" Naruto just chuckled lightly as the boy looked up at him with wide, enraptured eyes.

"Yes way, back during the Third Shinobi War there were even Jounin as young as nine years old!" Naruto added an exaggerated wave of his free hand to add to the atmosphere as he continued to discern the readings from his mystic palm technique. However Inari immediately gained that cute confused expression that only young children could have where Naruto could almost see the little cogs spinning behind his furrowed eyes.

"Huh, what was the Third Shinobi War?" Naruto just grinned as he leaned in a little closer, his voice becoming a hushed whisper as Inari instinctively leaned forward himself, allowing Naruto to run his other hand along the boy's back quietly.

"Just between you and me, there was an entire war fought between ninja around twenty years ago that they never revealed to the public." Inari's eyes widened in surprise at that; he had never heard of a first Shinobi war, never mind a third one. "Every nation was a part of it, even Hi no Kuni but because they were ninja nobody ever knew it was happening. Ninja prefer it when no one knows anything about them." From the doorways Tsunami smiled lightly; the Great Shinobi Wars weren't exactly a secret, it's just they were rarely spoken about for civilians either due to lack of involvement or the bad memories that came with such days. Naruto was just being more fantastical than necessary; although it warmed her heart to see Inari grinning like that.

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" Naruto just leaned back and shrugged casually, the lilting smile on his face not disappearing for a moment. His eyes drifted for a second as his technique dissipated but Inari couldn't tell due to the way they were squinted.

"Eh, I guess you can't..." he suddenly leaned in closer again, his voice going back down to a conspiratorial hush as he put a hand up to block his mouth as if people might be listening in. "...but then you're doing exactly what they want you to do." He leaned back out; looking completely nonchalant as he casually rolled his shoulders and let out a small cough. "But like I said, keep that between me and you." Inari managed to break out of his wide-eyes stupor long enough to nod hurriedly before staring at the wall again, his childish mind no doubt running through a variety of outlandish ideas involving ninja and secret wars.

"Well that wasn't so bad was it?" Inari looked around again, that childish confusion of his marring his face again as he looked down at his body; the boy hadn't noticed Naruto do anything other than talk.

"Huh, what are you talking about?" Naruto simply grinned as he stood up, dusting off his robes slightly as he took his shakujou from where it had been resting against the bed.

"What have we talked about Inari, even us kids can have cool techniques right?" To emphasise his point his hand suddenly lit up in dull green flames as he waved to the boy, leaving him in a stunned silence as he walked out of the room. Tsunami gave her stunned boy a small wave and a kind smile before gently closing door behind her as she also left, turning to face Naruto, bearing a smile that he mirrored.

"You know I haven't seen Inari smile like that for some time now, thank you for that." Naruto just nodded curtly; he could see the boy had a few trust issues from how hostile he was at first but like he thought Inari was still a child at heart and it just needed a little coaxing to see that.

"It's no problem. I'm sure whatever problems he has it will only take time for him to work through them at his own pace." Tsunami's smile tightened somewhat at that; she could only hope as much considering everything her boy had been through with the loss of his father figure. "Medically though he's fine, just a small cough that will no doubt pass in a few days if not by tomorrow, nothing to worry about I assure you." With that Tsunami relaxed again; even she hadn't noticed Naruto's technique at first, he was quite the amazing doctor.

"Then thank you, for everything." Naruto simply smiled as he leaned against his shakujou; he always enjoyed theses moments after the patient of their loved ones found out they were going to be fine.

"If that's everything then I need to get back to my friend, I get the idea that if she wakes up and finds me to be gone she might do something unexpected." Tsunami followed him to the door, wringing her hands as she walked slightly nervously; Naruto noticed this but said nothing, it wasn't really his business after all. Finally, when he reached the door he felt her hand grip his shoulder lightly so he turned with an expectant look on his face.

"I feel terrible having you help me and offering nothing in return, are you sure there is nothing I can do for you for helping Inari-chan?" Naruto smiled lightly at the affectionate suffix, remembering when the Sandaime Hokage would refer to him in the same way. He almost grimaced when he realised that deep down, despite all the hardship Nami no Kuni was going through, a small part of him was a little jealous of Inari for having the normal life and loving mother he never could.

"My Master at the temple I lived in during my childhood once told me that a kind deed is one's own reward and I think I am inclined to agree with him." He chuckled to himself lightly at that, knowing Chukaku had probably never adhered to that principle all that much.

"Was he the one who taught you those medical techniques?" Naruto nearly burst out laughing at that but restrained himself to an amused chuckle as he looked off fondly to the side, his eyes glazed slightly.

"Oh no, my medical sensei has a very different opinion in that regard; I don't think she has ever done anything without expecting compensation at the end." He returned his gaze back to the woman with a serene smile and inclined his head slightly. "But I'm not her. Thank you for inviting me into your home, I hope Inari gets well quickly." Tsunami seemed to have lost her nervousness by now and managed to return the gesture more confidently.

"Really, if there is ever anything you need be sure to come and see us. I'm sure Inari-chan would be happy to see you again." Naruto simply nodded, neither agreeing nor disagreeing; he had a feeling he would be busy in the coming days. With nothing else left to be said he simply turned and walked off back to the temple, offering a small wave over his shoulder to the small family home. His sharp eyes didn't miss the small head peeking from the upstairs window.

* * *

It turned out he would actually visit Tsunami and Inari again, but not for two more days; before that time he and Fuu were predictably busy with all the people asking for their help. Thankfully after the first day the crowd had lessened gratefully and the two weren't quite as overwhelmed; they had also come up with a system similar to triage, marking off the people with the worst problems and dealing with those first. Tsunade had been right, coming out and actually experiencing life as a medic was excellent training; practising on animals and learning from scrolls just couldn't compare to real, first-hand experience.

Once the initial rush wore off though and the people with less serious problems realised that there actually were people worse off than they were, they managed to find some free time. Naruto used the opportunity to introduce Fuu to Tsunami and Inari; Tsunami and Fuu had been pleasant to one another but all it took was Naruto mentioning Fuu was a former Shinobi to get Inari to start questioning her relentlessly. It was actually rather amusing to sit there drinking tea as Inari badgered the poor girl about anything and everything that came to mind, often ending everything with an exuberant shout of 'cool'.

Of course at first Fuu had been completely out of her element, startled and hesitant to answer the overly-energetic child. However she eventually began to tell Inari a bit about the missions she had been on, thankfully editing them for the boy's innocent ears. Naruto was glad at least that she understood enough to do that; however as funny as it was at first it was incredibly heart-warming to see the girl genuinely interacting with people so quickly after meeting them; it gave Naruto hope for her future.

It was the duo's fifth day in Nami no Kuni and Fuu had been left with Inari, watching over the boy while Tsunami went out to shop while Naruto offered to accompany her. She had been somewhat hesitant at first due to his age but didn't regret bringing him along; he was far more mature than his age would suggest and found his conversation surprisingly pleasant. He himself just enjoyed the company; he so rarely got to speak to people other than those he was travelling with at the time so it was rather refreshing.

"...and every time Chiriku-sempai would turn around Sora would move the stones again. He would look around and stare at them for a few seconds like he was trying to work out if that was how they had been but we both just kept looking forward. Chukaku-shishou was trying not to laugh in the corner; he could be so childish at times for somebody so old." Tsunami quietly giggled behind her palm as Naruto told her yet another story from his time at the temple.

"I can tell your memories of the temple were very fond." Naruto simply nodded as they continued down the street, Tsunami carrying a basket slung over one shoulder that had slowly been filling up with food throughout the day.

"Yes, they were some of the best years of my life; I'll never forget what they did for me." He sighed wistfully for just a moment, allowing himself just a brief moment of melancholy before returning his attention back to the street ahead of them. They had taken a small detour from the main shopping street through a small row of houses so that Tsunami could visit one of the more out of the way shops she frequented. "But I've said plenty about myself, what about you Tsunami-san?" The woman blushed lightly; despite Naruto merely being a young teenager it had been a while since somebody had actually asked her about herself.

"Oh well, I'm sure you-" unfortunately Tsunami was cut off by an indignant shout followed by a young man around her age being thrown from a house in front of them. Both of them paused as they watched the man land on his back, groaning painfully from the impact before looking up just as two much larger and more dangerous-looking men also emerged from the house, not looking all that amused at the situation.

"You've pissed off Gato for the last time you piece of crap." Naruto frowned as the man scooted back, narrowly avoiding getting his legs stamped on by the second burly man. Despite Tsunami's protests he continued forward, his shakujou's jingling going quiet as he coated the staff with Chakra to mask his approach. The three men didn't even realise he was there until he cleared his throat, making the man on the ground whip his head around in fear while the two thugs simply turned with annoyance.

"Excuse me." The larger of the two men, the one with the sword strapped to his back in a way that showed he wasn't too experienced with it, grunted down at him.

"What do you want you little brat? Can't you see we're busy here dealing with this piece of trash?" To emphasise his point the man's companion delivered a square kick to the grounded man's legs, or would have if he hadn't rolled out of the way with a pathetic whimper.

"Eh stop rolling about you little worm, take your beating like a fucking man." Before the thug could try and injure the man again Naruto cleared his throat again causing the first hulk of a man to look around again, this time a more apparent look of annoyance on his weather-hardened features.

"Right, beat it kid before we have to deal with you like this trash." He put a hand on the hilt of his sword but Naruto ignored that; the man had pitiful Chakra reserves and Naruto could easily block and sloppy blow he would try to make with the weapon.

"Is there any way I could help here?" A look of ugly confusion creased the man's brow as he stared down rather incredulously at the young blonde standing there so defiantly. He was sure the hope and defiance had been beaten out of the nation after Gato had strung up that supposed 'hero'.

"Heh, unless you got three thousand ryo kid then there's fuck all you can do to help this worm." It was the other thug that spoke, looking over his friend's shoulder as he absently continued to try and crush the pleading man's legs. He was wondering why his companion hadn't simply kicked the kid away, or better yet simply killed the little brat; hope and resistance had to be thoroughly quashed from the people here. Naruto simply stared for a moment before unhooking one of his pouches from his belt; he didn't quite remember how much was in it but he was sure it was more than three thousand ryo.

"Here." He chucked the little pouch to the first thug who caught it in surprise, the hilt of his sword forgotten as he opened up the little cloth bag. His eyes widened in amazement as glittering money stared back at him, easily over four or five thousand ryo.

"Uhh, Hibiki we have the money now; what are we supposed to do?" The second thug paused for a moment in confusion; their orders had been to make an example out of anybody unable to pay the protection fees which were intentionally too high. He blinked for a moment, his slow brain slowly working behind dull eyes as he peered over at the money in the pouch. Finally a cruel smile played over his face as he turned back to the man cowering on the ground.

"Well isn't it your lucky day you little bug, who knew there were people so selfless in the world eh? Unfortunately, we're still going to have to make an example of you for not being able to pay for yourself; after all, if it can happen once it can happen again right?" He raised the nasty looking pole he had in his right hand up but before it could connect with the other man's head it met resistance in the form or Naruto's outstretched shakujou. The boy was holding back the full force of the man's blow without any significant effort whatsoever.

"Is it not enough that you have the money? Will your master not be satisfied with that? If not then why have you out collecting money at all? What's the point of asking for money if you're determined to beat up people whether or not you get it?" Again it took the brute of a man a few moment to think through Naruto's words before a look of pure irritation overrode any thinking he might have gotten done.

"Eh, get out of my way kid or you'll be next." He seemed blissfully ignorant of the fact Naruto was still effortlessly holding back his pole without even paying attention to what he was doing. The blonde just sighed sadly as he withdrew the staff, leaning on it slightly as the ends of his fingers began to crackle with an almost unnoticeable layer of lightning.

"I can't let you hurt that man for no reason. No matter how much you may try to justify it, you're doing this merely because you _want_ to, not because you _have_ to, and that cannot be allowed." The man only sneered derisively as he brought his large pole around; it never met its mark though. Before the man could even cry out he was on the ground twitching, a few stray spark of electricity arcing across his body as Naruto appeared not to have even moved to those untrained in Chakra. The first thug only looked on in shock at his incapacitated companion before looking at Naruto rather fearfully.

"You should probably get your friend some medical attention quickly." The brute blinked once before nodding dumbly, rushing forward to grab his friend before running off, sending a fearful look over his shoulder at the young blonde. Naruto just stood there and sighed before offering his hand to the man still cowering slightly on the ground, unsure what to make of the situation. Eventually though he took the offered hand, allowing Naruto to haul him off the floor with surprising strength.

"T-Thank you Naruto-san." The blonde blinked in surprise at that.

"Have we met before?" The man just stared at him for a moment before looking at the ground nervously; Naruto could tell he wasn't the type to speak up often.

"Ah, yes, you um, you helped heal my daughter's broken ankle." Naruto just nodded slowly; he vaguely remembered that but most of the people he healed all kind of blended into one exhausting blur by the end of the day.

"Right, well you seem okay so we'll be going now." The man only just seemed to notice Tsunami standing there, wringing her hands worriedly from behind the young blonde.

"W-Wait!" Naruto turned curiously to the man again with an eyebrow raised expectantly; he seemed to almost falter at that before gathering himself. "Why um, why did you help me like that?" Naruto simply smiled happily at the man, seemingly setting him at ease somewhat.

"I don't really need a reason to help somebody do I? You should never hurt people without a good reason, but you shouldn't need a good reason to help someone instead, at least I think so." Strangely the man seemed almost troubled by that as he glanced in the direction the two thugs had gone, his hands twitching lightly by his sides.

"But uh, now Gato will be angry with you and uh..." he looked down ashamedly, sadness crawling across his features like a vulgar insect. "...and it'll be my fault." He looked up again, that same sickening look of self-pity on his face that almost had Naruto frowning. "You've already done so much for our village without asking for anything so I uh, I..." His head dropped back down again pathetically; something told Naruto it had taken a lot for him just to meet his eyes once "...I don't really feel worthy of that." Naruto sighed heavily, making the man flinch imperceptibly as he expected some kind of retribution.

"You don't have to." He was surprised then when Naruto took a step forward, placed a strong hand on the man's shoulder before smiling and turning around, re-joining Tsunami by her side. "Now you were about to say something Tsunami-san?" The woman just stared incoherently for a moment before blinking herself out of it and looking down at the boy with uncertainty.

"Ah, right." She looked back over her shoulder towards the man she knew to be called Itoko; she had met him a few times and had thought he was a nice man, if a little shy at times. Right now though he was staring at Naruto's back with something almost akin to awe; she swore she saw a flash of determination and energy flash through him for a moment but it may have simply been a trick of the light. "Well, I suppose I could tell you about Kaiza." Naruto looked up with an interested expression as Tsunami began her story.

* * *

The rain always made Naruto nostalgic; the grey skies, the light droplets hitting his clothes and forming streams as they gathered atop his sugegasa and the general chill permeating the air. All of it would remind him of Shizuku; sometimes they would be fond memories and he would wear a light smile for the rest of the day. Other times he would only see her blood coating his hands, her dying smile as her eyes closed for the last time; those were the bad days. Luckily as he strode through the quiet streets of the village, Fuu alongside him, a nostalgic smile tugged at the edge of his mouth.

"What do you think she would say about all this?" Fuu looked up with her usual blank expression that made it hard to tell what she was thinking. Normally on days like these, regardless of what emotions it would trigger in Naruto, he would be fairly withdrawn; for him to speak was quite rare.

"Shizuku?" Naruto just nodded as Fuu returned to looking in front of her, idly watching the small rivers of water rushing over the brim of her wide hat. "She would most likely be complaining about the rain." Naruto chuckled before throwing a more meaningful look her way; he liked that the girl had begun to open up a little more as she spent time around Inari. The young boy had a surprising ability to bring the mint-haired Jinchuuriki out of her shell, or more like forced her to.

"You know what I mean." Fuu just nodded, a light smile playing at her own lips; it was a more common occurrence as of late. It was strange because she had thought with all the work they were doing and the way she always collapsed into bed, exhausted by the end of the day, she would be in a more irritable mood. Instead she felt... fulfilled; it was nice to be doing something she felt was important. She finally had a useful skill that wasn't a means to shorten another human's lifespan and it was genuinely pleasant.

"She would be asking us to do everything in our power to help these people, then ignore whatever we would say and go do it anyway." Naruto nodded slowly as they turned a corner onto a familiar beaten track that had become slightly squishier with the rain.

"Yeah, I thought so." Fuu looked around at her first and longest friend, just staring at his far-off look for a moment in silence.

"Why do you ask?" That seemed to bring Naruto out of his thoughts as he looked around, their eyes meeting for a split second before both turned away slightly, rose dusting their cheeks. They were at the stage every person went through when the opposite sex suddenly began to seem more interesting to look at, yet it became inexplicably more embarrassing to do so.

"I wonder if we're doing enough; maybe you were right and simply dealing with Gato would be better. At least then the people wouldn't be under his thumb and could begin to rebuild their lives." Again Fuu simply watched for a moment, weighing her words carefully before doing anything.

"No, you were right to begin with." Naruto looked around, somewhat surprised by the sudden conviction in the girl's vice. "Killing Gato would not achieve anything for these people, at least not yet. With each day I see them starting to talk; whispers are beginning to go around that they needn't be frightened anymore." She smiled lightly as she looked down at her feet, not really paying attention to where she was going. "They are beginning to regain their hope." Naruto sighed in slight relief as he placed a warm hand on his friend's shoulder, not noticing the sudden flush in the girl's cheeks through the rain.

"Thanks Fuu, sometimes you know just what to say." The girl offered him a small smile that to him was one of the most beautiful sights in the world. The knowledge that somebody precious to him was happy was worth more than anything to him. The two finally reached their destination in the form of Tsunami's house; she had once told him it was technically her father's but Naruto had never met the elusive bridge-builder so in his mind it belonged to the kindly housewife he had come to know.

"Something's off." Naruto frowned as he looked around; something felt distinctly different about the house. It didn't take him long to notice it; there were dirty scuff marks on the porch from sandals too big to be Inari or Tsunami. It was strange because the woman normally kept every aspect of her home as clean as possible. He quickly knocked on the door, a little fearful of what might have happened to the people he had come to see as friends. He almost sighed in relief when the door finally opened however the breath caught in his throat when Tsunami wasn't the one to answer the door.

"Uhh, can I help you?" Naruto just blinked at the girl in front of him; long pink hair, a sleeveless red dress and a shuriken pouch strapped to her thigh. She was a Shinobi, but more importantly the forehead protector she wore as a hair band proudly gleamed with the symbol of Konoha.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry about the late updating on my part guys, school's back and I have so much less free time than I would prefer; I hope you'll bare with me at least until half term in a few weeks when I can hopefully get back to more frequent updates, at least for a little while. I actually plan on finishing this fic by Xmas if possible.**


	44. Flames IV

**Digi doesn't own Naruto but he sure is running out of characters to do these disclaimers for him**

**Sage**

_"Accept your past with no regrets. Handle your present with confidence. Face your future without fear." – Hussein Nishah_

* * *

"Ahh, hello?" The girl waved a hand in front of his face slowly, a confused expression prevalent on her features as Naruto continued to just stand there dazedly. Suddenly he blinked, snapping out of his semi-trance as his face naturally returned to his usual calm look, almost as if he hadn't just stared dumbly at the girl for a whole ten seconds without saying anything. To the side Fuu was looking between the two in similar confusion before scrutinising the pink-haired girl that had opened the door.

Like Naruto she could instantly tell she was a Shinobi due to the forehead protector she wore as a hair-band. It was that, or some girl had managed to get a hold of one and was wearing it for fun. She didn't seem like a Kunoichi; her legs and arms were skinny and her whole body bore the signs of litheness from diet as opposed to training. Her hair was meticulously clean and shiny and Fuu could smell the strawberry in her shampoo, something that was strange for a Kunoichi supposedly out on a mission that shouldn't involve seduction. Fuu instantly found that she didn't like this girl all that much, especially after seeing Naruto stare at her like that; although for the life of her she couldn't explain why.

"Oh, I'm sorry about that. I was slightly surprised that you weren't Tsunami is all." The girl just nodded slowly.

"You are here to see Tsunami-san?" Naruto just nodded quickly, a small disarming smile pulling at the edges of his mouth. "Tsunami-san, there is somebody here to see you!" There was the sound of hurried scuffling from inside the house and Tsunami quickly made herself known, standing just behind the pink-haired girl.

"Ah Naruto-san, it's good to see you." Naruto observed the woman carefully; she had told him before that her father had gone to request the help from Shinobi but he couldn't rule out the possibility that she was being held captive. Luckily she only wore her usual motherly smile and Naruto let go of any lingering doubts he might have had.

"You too Tsunami-san; I came by to offer my usual help but..." he looked poignantly at the girl still standing to the woman's side "... it seems you have company so maybe I should come back another-" Unfortunately for Naruto any chance of them leaving was dashed as soon as another voice made itself heard.

"Naruto-oniisan! Fuu-oneechan!" The blonde monk had to stifle a small sigh of frustration as Inari came barrelling out of the house, a small wooden kunai held firmly in his hands. His veritable dive at Fuu was instinctually dodged by the verdette, surprising the pink-haired girl with her speed. The poor boy went sailing over the girl, rolling to a messy stop on the ground outside, naturally covering himself in mud. With the energy only children possessed he jumped to his feet, laughing happily as he waved the toy Fuu had fashioned for him about.

"I'll get you next time Oneechan! Just you wait!" he was soon silenced though as Tsunami quickly clipped him around the back of his head, a scolding expression on her face as she pointed back into the house.

"Inari! What have I told you about attacking Fuu-san? Now get inside and go clean up." Inari looked rightfully fearful of his mother's suddenly vengeful expression and hurriedly rushed back into the house, dutifully wiping his feet before rushing off upstairs on his little legs. "Ah, I apologise again for him again Fuu-san." The mint-haired Jinchuuriki simply waved the woman off; since she had given Inari the wooden kunai he had done that to her every time she had come to the house trying to, in his own words, 'surpass her with these two arms'. Apparently it was something Kaiza had once told him and Fuu really didn't want to discourage him from trying to become stronger.

"It's fine Tsunami-san." The woman smiled kindly at the younger girl; like Naruto it often surprised her how mature and collected Fuu could be, and usually was.

"Ah, if only everybody was as understanding as you Fuu-san; anyway you should probably come in outside from the rain." Naruto actually did sigh that time, quietly though; now that they had been invited in there was no chance of them leaving quietly. They were quickly herded into the house after hanging up their hats and cloaks although Naruto decided to hold onto his shakujou. Soon they found themselves at a table, sitting across from three young Shinobi, each regarding them in their own way.

First there was the boy with dark hair styled up into spikes at the back in a high-collared blue shirt, white shorts and arm-warmers. He sat at the corner of the table, obviously content to just quietly stare at the two rather coldly. Then there was the other boy of their team, with brown shaggy hair hidden by a light grey, fur-lined hoodie that oddly enough had a small white dig sticking out of the front. He had a distinctly feral appearance with his slitted eyes and large triangular red marks on his cheeks resembling fangs. Finally there was the girl they had met at the door, alternating between staring curiously at them and glancing over to the first boy.

"So uh, who exactly are you anyway?" It was the second boy who asked, the small dog yipping out in what seemed to be agreement with the question. He was quickly hit over the head by the girl of the team, obvious irritation plastered over her face.

"Don't be so rude Kiba-baka!" Kiba just snarled at the girl in equal irritation, rubbing the sore-spot at the back of his head as the dog in his hoodie growled as menacingly as something smaller than a house-cat could.

"What the hell was that for Sakura?!" As the two descended into pointless and only half-intelligible squabbling the final member of their team just calmly sat there, observing Naruto and Fuu with scrutinising eyes.

"The mutt raises a good point, who are you two?" Naruto simply returned the cold expression with a warm smile that was slightly strained at this point. He had met more than a few Shinobi in his travels but he had never met a team so... strange, and that was out of experience with people like Omoi and Karui.

"Oniisan and Oneechan are the best!" Naruto had been about to answer but it seemed Inari, now damp from a bath with a towel slung over his head, saw fit to answer for them. All three Shinobi turned to look at the boy, Kiba and Sakura even stopped fighting to watch the boy run into the room happily, quickly taking a spot sitting on Fuu's lap, much to the girl's hidden chagrin. "Naruto is a super cool monk that can heal anything and his eyes are awesome and Fuu is the coolest ninja ever!" At the mention of Fuu being a ninja suddenly all attention was on her; Naruto was just glad nobody seemed to have noticed the comment about his eyes, he regretted showing Inari now.

"You're a Kunoichi?" It was the as of yet unnamed Shinobi in the team that spoke staring at Fuu with a gaze so strong it felt like he was trying to see through her. His eyes quickly roamed over her body, taking in the tones muscles of her arms and legs in a manner that distinctly made Fuu feel uncomfortable. "What village are you from?" Before the conversation could escalate Naruto quickly coughed into his hand, drawing attention away from Fuu for the moment.

"So you are the Shinobi Tazuna-san hired to help defend his bridge?" The dark-haired boy's gaze lingered on Fuu for a moment longer before turning to look at the blonde.

"Yes, what of it?" Naruto simply shrugged, that calm smile never leaving his features.

"No reason, I was simply wondering where the fourth member of your team was; as I understand it Shinobi work in groups of four with three Genin and a Jounin-sensei correct?" The boy's eyes narrowed even further at that.

"How do you know that?" Naruto's head tilted slightly to the side, his eyes crinkling up into little crescents that reminded the three Genin eerily of their sensei.

"I travel a lot." That didn't seem to particularly sate the dark-haired boy but by that point the other two had re-taken their seats.

"Travelled where?" Naruto turned to the Kiba, who had asked the question, and simply looked at him for a moment, carefully weighing what to say much like Fuu normally did. Kiba took his silence to mean something else as he grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Oh right; I'm Kiba by the way. The pink banshee there is Sakura and the brooding wonder on my other side is Sasuke, we're-" Naruto never got to find out what he would say next as he was swiftly silenced by Sakura's fist again, leading the two into another round of pointless bickering that had Sasuke sighing in annoyance to one side.

"For your information our Sensei was injured on the way here by a missing-nin by the name of Zabuza Momochi." Naruto's eyes widened at that imperceptibly; during his time with the rebellion he had heard a lot about the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, Zabuza especially. Apparently before the rebellion had even begun he had tried to lead a one-man coup against Yagura, only to be swiftly defeated before turning tail and running. Mei had been trying to find him for a long time before Naruto, Fuu, and Shizuku even entered the country; the swordsmen were all highly skilled and he would have been an invaluable asset.

"Injured? Maybe I could help." Sasuke huffed slightly as his scrutinising gaze turned on Naruto, as if he was looking for anything special.

"And what could you do?" Naruto just offered another disarming smile as he stood up, his hand glowing green with Chakra for a moment much to Sasuke's sudden interest.

"I'm trained in medical Ninjutsu." Sakura especially seemed impressed by the faint fiery glow around the blonde's hand; she had read about medical Ninjutsu and knew it required the utmost control of one's Chakra. To think that somebody who looked the same age as them could have already mastered it to such a degree was incredible. A few minutes later and the three Genin were crowded around the door frame to one of the upstairs rooms as Naruto did a check up on their masked sensei.

It wasn't a very long procedure; Naruto simply passed his glowing hand along the Jounin's body a few times, a look of intense focus on his face. A look of particular interest crossed his features when his hand passed over the man's covered left eye but other then that it was simply a routine diagnosis. He stood up, turning to find two expectant and one unconcerned face staring at him; even Inari had come up to watch.

"Your sensei is fine, just a simple case of Chakra exhaustion. From the strain on his coils I would say he will be back to full strength in around five days. When he wakes up simply tell him to take it easy for a while so he doesn't add any lasting damage on top of what he's already done." He was looking at Sakura as he spoke so the girl quickly nodded; when Naruto was in what Fuu thought of as his 'doctor mode' his voice carried a surprising amount of authority.

"Is there anything you can do to speed it up?" Naruto observed Kiba for a moment before smiling casually.

"Of course there is; however like anything in medicine there are inherent risks, especially when dealing with something as delicate as the Chakra pathways. There are a few herbal remedies that encourage the production of Chakra in your coils as well as those soldier pills you Shinobi are so fond of using. However such things can also damage your body if taken carelessly so it is simply better to allow the Chakra system to heal in its own time. Besides it's not like you're in any rush right? You three are Shinobi so you should be enough to defend the bridge right?" From the side Sasuke simply huffed contemptuously at the insinuation he needed their sensei for something as simple as that.

"Of course." Naruto just smiled pleasantly as he moved between them and out into the hallway where Fuu had been waiting in case he needed help in diagnosis.

"Then there's no problem right?" None of the Genin had an answer for him; luckily the silence was broken by Inari who throughout the short conversation had been glancing around at all the people there.

"Ahh this is boring Niisan, it's stopped raining outside so come play ninja with me!" Naruto chuckled lightly as he ruffled Inari's hair, much to the boy's obvious displeasure.

"Yeah sure." Inari beamed at that, turning to where Fuu had been subtly trying to escape, knowing what came next.

"Neechan come too!" The girl froze before sighing defeatedly, opting to simply follow Naruto and Inari out of the house, leaving three somewhat confused Genin behind. Finally Kiba looked up from where he had been staring after them; this whole time he had been somewhat unnerved by the new arrivals. Growing up in a family that took after dogs so much he had an inherent sense for particular 'alphas', even through his boasting that he was one himself. Naruto exuded the same aura his mother did, one of pure power; however where his mother was wild and unashamed of this Naruto was very calm and collected.

"I don't know about you two but I gotta see this." Without waiting for a reply from his teammates he took off.

* * *

"Remember to have a strong grip on the handle; you don't want it slipping out of your hands." Inari nodded happily as Fuu placed a real kunai in his hands; it was her dullest one but the boy could still injure himself with it if he wasn't careful. It had taken a lot of puppy-dog eyes from Inari for Tsunami to even agree to that much but Fuu preferred it this way. She could technically humour the boy and simply make him go through the motions with the wooden toy she had given him but she always felt practising without the proper equipment was pointless.

"Right Fuu-sensei!" The girl sighed lightly before pushing the boy forwards slightly, prompting him to get into the position she had shown him. It was a little sloppy but Fuu carefully corrected his posture until it was acceptable before slipping into the same stance, only hers was perfect.

"Now follow my movements, move through it slowly like I have shown you before doing it faster. It is always better to know your own movements perfectly than try to go fast and lose yourself." Inari nodded again, his face twisting into a cute look of concentration with his tongue sticking out the corner of his mouth. Slowly the two began to move through a kata of Fuu's Taijutsu style; Inari followed as best he could but his young and untrained muscles just couldn't hold some of the more balanced positions Fuu's lithe and more suited body could.

"Uh does this look like playing ninja to you guys?" From the side the three Genin sat watching, Kiba and Sakura on the floor and Sasuke up on a branch of a tree. Kiba was watching on curiously and laughing occasionally when Inari couldn't quite perform one of the movements while Sakura simply seemed confused.

"It just looks like training to me." The girl wore a look of slight disgust at the thought; training only got her body all sweaty and she would never allow herself to look that way in front of Sasuke. Although she had to admit the girl in front of her was very beautiful with her toned yet sleek muscles. She looked down at her own comparatively skinny arms and legs and frowned before looking up at Sasuke in the tree. The dark-haired boy was watching Fuu with an unflinching gaze; despite her movements being overly slow she performed them perfectly. He had never seen an actual Kunoichi in action before; the only thing he had to compare them to were the, in his opinion, weak girls in his own class.

"Hey Sasuke-kun, what-?" Sakura found herself ignored as the boy she was trying to talk to jumped out of the tree and walked towards Fuu and Inari.

"Hey, you seem fairly strong." His face remained neutral as he stood there, slowly growing annoyed as Fuu seemed to ignore him, opting instead to gracefully complete the movement set before turning around, her face a blank mask. "How about a spar?" Fuu just looked at him for a moment as Inari excitedly buzzed by her side, the prospect of seeing two ninja actually fight a little too much for his childish imagination. From the side Sakura frowned, Sasuke had never asked her to spar before; in fact he never really showed interest in anybody like this.

"Very well." At this point even Naruto, who had been sitting off to the other side of the clearing in meditation, seemed interested. Sasuke just nodded, walking back a few paces before settling into his Taijutsu stance; Fuu immediately noted that it was perfectly executed, obviously well-practised. However whether or not he could maintain that discipline in a fight remained to be seen. She too settled back into her stance, calming her breathing until it was as level as her heartbeat; she never wasted the opportunity to prepare herself when it was presented.

The fight was sudden, swift and brutal; Sasuke charged forward, intent on getting the first blow it. However Fuu's eyes snapped open, immediately gauging everything she needed to know. The boy was fast, surprisingly so, and his movements were economic; however in comparison to Naruto, or the Jounin she had fought in Mizu no Kuni, he was fairly average. It didn't take much for her to swat his punch away, shifting her foot back to avoid a sweeping kick before brutally slamming both of her fists into the boy's chest before he could even widen his eyes in surprise.

Her movements were fast and efficient, not a single twitch of her muscles was wasted energy. It was a habit bred from fighting in a war; there was no place for flashy moves or exuberant fighting styles. She lacked Naruto's ability to switch interchangeably between large-scale suppression techniques and overbearingly powerful, but directed attacks. She had to make do with her speed and normal Jutsu meaning she had to finish her opponent as fast as possible so she could move on and help her comrades.

Sasuke learned that the hard way as he felt the air leaving his lungs, his body flying back from the blow to land heavily on the ground. For a moment he just lay there, dazed and shocked. He had never been defeated before; discounting his brother, Kakashi or Zabuza which he attributed to their age and experience. However this girl, who was around the same age as him had disabled him as easily as one might deal with an errant insect. Suddenly, and inexplicably, a small grin formed on his face as he picked himself up off the ground. Absently he heard Sakura calling out to him in worry from the edge of the clearing but completely ignored it in favour of looking at Fuu.

"You are fast." The girl had not moved from her stance, ready in case Sasuke decided he wasn't done yet. Her face remained emotionless as she had been trained to do in a fight and her eyes glanced around for any sign of a trap.

"You are quite fast as well." The other two Konoha Genin were suddenly shocked as the smallest of chuckles escaped Sasuke's lips; they had never even seen him smile before, never mind laugh. The last time he had been called 'quite fast' was during the bell test and that was from a Jounin; to hear the same thing from this girl his age, without a hint of condescension, was... odd.

"Right, but don't think I'm finished yet." Fuu simply shrugged as Sasuke charged her again. Around ten minutes later and Sasuke was panting on the floor, various bruises covering his body but a satisfied smirk on his face. To his side Fuu looked at him curiously; a light sheen of sweat covered her body but otherwise she seemed unfazed. She somewhat admired Sasuke's tenacity, despite him not actually being able to land a hit on her he kept coming anyway. He had almost caught her off guard with the fireball but then again he hadn't expected the wall of water she had created either.

"You really are strong." Fuu regarded him for a moment before offering her hand which Sasuke ignored in favour of getting to his feet himself.

"I have faced many strong opponents." Sasuke nodded as he brushed at his clothes in futility, there was a gleam in his eyes at being able to fight a strong opponent. Kakashi always refused to fight him at full strength for obvious reasons; Fuu was different; she didn't hold back on him at all. He could feel it in every blow, every counter and every dodge. However the only frustrating thing was it was all reactionary, she never took the offensive; although that was probably better for him.

"So who is stronger, you or your friend?" Fuu looked down, a small smile threatening to pull at her lips as she remembered all her fights with Naruto; they had all been about as one-sided as the spar she had just enjoyed with Sasuke.

"I could never hope to defeat Naruto; he is far beyond my strength." The gleam in Sasuke's eyes was renewed as he turned to where Naruto had been sitting throughout the spar. However the blonde was conspicuously absent all of a sudden; Sasuke had never even felt him leave. Far from annoying the boy it left him oddly excited; the knowledge of people so strong his age gave him hope for his goals. He was in such a good mood as he walked back that he didn't even bother telling Sakura off for fawning all over him .

* * *

Naruto had left sometime around the middle of the spar; he knew Fuu would be fine against Sasuke. Having fought against multiple Jounin during the bloodline rebellion he felt she could handle one Genin in a friendly spar without any trouble. He also didn't want to spend too much time around the Konoha Shinobi in case one of them happened to recognise him. He had grown up a lot in the six years he had been gone from the village but his main defining characteristic, his blonde hair was still prevalent.

The only thing he had going for him was the fact that his whisker-like birth marks had all but disappeared since then. He hadn't even noticed it happening until Tsunade had pointed it out one day; it was a very gradual thing, happening over the course of years. It had shocked and confused him at first, having had them for as long as he could remember and not quite feeling the same without them.

After a lot of arguing Naruto had finally gotten out of the Fox that the marks were a result of prolonged interaction with his Chakra. Apparently Kinkaku and Ginkaku had received similar marks from eating the walls of his stomach for two weeks. According to the Kyuubi Naruto had received them due to the nature of the Yondaime's seal, leaking the potent Chakra into his system almost continuously at low levels. Naruto thought there was more to it than that but the fox was tight-lipped about anything else.

His current theory was that the other Bijuu he contained had begun to 'cancel-out' this effect the fox had on his body with their own Chakra and without any one dominant character from any of them Naruto's body simply reverted to a blank slate, relatively speaking. Right now they were nothing more than wispy lines, barely noticeable unless you looked closely. He figured in a few months they would be gone entirely and he wasn't sure whether to be saddened or relieved. On one hand he would lose something that made him distinctly... him, while on the other hand he would be much harder to recognise.

He put that to the back of his mind as he walked, taking in the peaceful atmosphere of the afternoon out in the forest. Everything had a slight glimmer from the recent rain and the insects still hadn't come out yet so there was a pleasant silence permeating everything. Eventually he found a dry enough clearing to sit down in and assumed his usual meditative position. Like usual when he did this the very first thing he did was to extend his senses through the moisture in the air. After having rained like it had it was much easier for him and the 'picture' he got back was a lot crisper.

He smiled lightly as he shifted his perspective around, searching for Fuu who he quickly found from her familiar signature. She was still fighting who he presumed to be Sasuke and the boy's teammates weren't too far away. Inari was also there, no doubt enraptured by the spar that he would probably have difficulty following. Tsunami was in the house while the Jounin sensei of the Konoha team was upstairs, although he now appeared to be awake. Finally there was... his expression turned thoughtful as he noticed a new signature approaching the clearing he was in. He stayed perfectly still until they were quite close, in fact he could even feel them through the lingering Chakra that had naturally seeped into the ground.

"You might catch a cold if you stay out here too long." Naruto cracked his eyes open slightly, enough to see the newcomer clearly. It was a girl around his age, perhaps slightly older, with long dark hair forming two sleek bangs framing her rounded face. She had large brown eyes and wore a muted but still attractive pink kimono; in all she was very cute. He offered her a warm smile as he noticed the basket she was carrying, filled with various herbs she had picked; a smirk might have formed on his face when he recognised the herbs had he been any less disciplined.

"Thank you for the concern..." he intentionally left the statement hanging as the girl nodded with her own faint smile.

"Haku." Naruto's smile widened slightly as he rolled his neck, giving the impression he had been sitting there for a long time.

"Naruto Uzumaki, but you needn't be worried about me, really." Haku just nodded once, her eyes drifting about the clearing they were in carefully.

"Ah, I have heard of you; people often talk about you in the village. What are you doing out here Naruto-san?" The blonde shrugged slightly as he looked up at the girl, his own eyes regarding her both curiously and carefully.

"I guess you could call it a form of training." Haku nodded slowly as her eyes continued to roam their surroundings. "Why don't you sit down? It's much more comfortable." Haku smiled softly but shook her head.

"I'm afraid I would get my kimono wet if I did that." Naruto's smile widened even further as he simply waved her concerns away.

"That's no trouble." Suddenly Haku felt warmth radiate from the blonde and watched in concealed amazement as a small area around him suddenly began to dry. She could literally watch the water on the grass evaporate in an expanding circle with him at the centre. When he was finished there was a patch of perfectly dry ground in a circle around three metres wide. "There." He offered her another warm smile that she only just managed to pull herself out of her shock to return.

"Are you a Shinobi? You can use Chakra and you wear a headband." Haku's eyes never left him as she gracefully tucked her legs under herself to sit down.

"Oh no, I'm a monk; the headband was simply a gift from some friends during my travels." His smile stayed pleasant as he continued to observe Haku. "Although I suppose I should be asking you the same thing, ne?" It wasn't noticeable to the casual observer but Naruto could easily see Haku suddenly freeze for a split second before her posture returned to normal.

"What do you mean?" Naruto sighed a little but his smile never dropped; he sensed nothing hostile from Haku.

"Well for one your Chakra reserves are much too large for a civilian and flows far too well for somebody untrained and two, I can see the slight bulges from where you have senbon hidden in your clothing." Haku froze again as her previously warm expression turned much colder and more calculating, suddenly regarding Naruto in a different light. "Relax, we have no reason to fight do we?" It took a moment but Haku finally relaxed, the senbon that had dropped into her hands returning up her sleeves.

"Why did you allow me to get so close if you knew I was a Shinobi?" Naruto just chuckled lightly as he leaned back, breaking his perfect posture for the first time to rest on his hands.

"And why shouldn't I? Some of the most interesting people I have ever talked to have been Shinobi." Haku just frowned at Naruto's apparent lack of concern for the situation.

"And what if I had meant you ill intent?" Naruto never stopped smiling as he looked away for a moment.

"Do you?" Haku just frowned again; in truth she had been sent to see whether or not Naruto was a threat or not, elimination was up to her.

"No." Naruto's smile grew again as he turned back around to face her.

"Then there's no problem right?" Haku wasn't quite sure what to make of the strange boy in front of her; she had never met anybody like him before.

"I suppose not." Naruto simply nodded happily as the two of them lapsed into a slightly awkward silence for a minute. "Naruto-san, if I may?" The blonde turned back to Haku from where he had idly been fooling a butterfly with his eyes. "What is your reason to train? Why do you continue to try and grow strong?" The blonde regarded the girl for a few moments without saying anything before blowing out a large breath, an amused chuckle escaping his lips.

"Well that's a hard question to answer isn't it? I suppose it could be all the times Chiriku-sempai slapped me over the back of the head for slacking off or I guess it could be in order to make Chukaku-shishou proud of me." He sighed loudly as he leaned back, looking up at the cloudy sky, still slightly overcast from the recent rain. "But really I do it because I need to get stronger." He looked back down, shocking Haku with the sudden intensity in his expression. "Because if I don't then the people closest to me could get hurt, again." There was silence in the clearing again as Haku absorbed the words, taking in Naruto's suddenly saddened demeanour; something told her that he had lost people close to him before.

"Then I believe you will become strong." The blonde looked up curiously from behind a veil of his shaggy hair, falling messily over his horned headband. "You grow strong to protect your precious people and I think that is when we become truly strong. When we have reason to win as opposed to simply desire to win." Naruto's sad expression gave way to a small smile as he just looked at Haku for a moment.

"You speak as if from experience; is that why you are making a Chakra-inducing medicine? Is it for your precious person?" Haku smiled at that as her thoughts turned to her master.

"Yes it is." Naruto just nodded slowly as he pointed off in a seemingly random direction.

"Then you'll find some tritus flowers in a clearing about a hundred feet that way." Haku blinked in surprise at that before remembering that much of the chatter about Naruto in the village was regarding his skills as a medic. She shouldn't have been surprised he could recognise what she had been going to make from the herbs she already had. She stood up just as gracefully as she had sat down, nodding her thanks quickly.

"Thank you, I think I should be going now." Naruto just nodded his understanding.

"Maybe we can speak again." A small smile grew on Haku's lips as she began to walk off in the direction Naruto had pointed out.

"Perhaps, although I feel I should mention... I'm a boy." As Haku walked off he waited for the inevitable reaction he got whenever somebody found out his real gender, although it never came. When he looked back Naruto was simply meditating calmly, a peaceful smile on his face. The boy sighed as he walked off, wondering just who he had been talking to back there.

* * *

**A/N: I feel as though I should clarify my previous note; the whole thing about finishing by Xmas was more of a hope by me than anything else; I said 'if possible' not 'for sure'. The story will be finished when its finished, no sooner. There will be no sequel (or at least I hadn't planned on one) but that's only because this story will go on into Shippuden.**

**-Digi-**


	45. Flames V

**Um Digi doesn't own Naruto... that's right isn't it? I haven't entered some alternate world where the Juubi isn't a freaking plant that rips off the Adam and Eve story right? No? Damn...**

* * *

**Sage**

_"Saving someone means not saving someone else." - Kiritsugu Emiya_

* * *

The next week was an interesting one for Naruto; between spending time helping the people of Wave with their problems and medical concerns and relaxing at the temple, he and Fuu spent a lot of time at Tazuna's house. Naruto finally got the opportunity to meet the elusive bridge-builder and had a long and thorough conversation with the man about the example he was setting to Inari. It was enough to say that the number of sake bottles randomly strewn about the house had significantly decreased.

Fuu would continue to spend time with Inari, sometimes playing, sometimes training. Tsunami seemed disapproving at first, those thoughts about Inari becoming a Shinobi and killing people running through her mind. However seeing her son's smiling face as Fuu praised him on finally learning a specific movement in her kata put her concerns somewhat at ease. She hadn't seen him this happy since Kaiza came into their lives; she only hoped that these new people that had returned their hope to them weren't taken away in a similar manner.

It was the second day since the team from Konoha had arrived and Naruto was happily observing a game of shogi between Tazuna and Fuu. He had never actually learned how to play the game himself but was slowly picking it up from watching the two play. After all there were better ways of increasing one's patience in the temple without resorting to a game that was essentially war strategizing. It was actually rather remarkable what he could learn about somebody from just watching how they played the game.

Fuu was incredibly analytical, taking all the time she needed for each move as her eyes carefully roamed the board, planning out many moves ahead for a number of scenarios. Tazuna on the other hand seemed to be moving his pieces at seemingly random, only taking a few seconds to make his move. Yet there was something else in his eyes, a certain glint of challenge as he watched Fuu frown over his latest move, her logical mind trying to puzzle out what kind of strategy the older man was employing when none could be seen.

"Check." Fuu's mouth twisted into a slight smirk as she moved one of her pieces, squarely cornering Tazuna's king. Tazuna only seemed worried for a moment before a smirk of his own crossed his bearded features.

"Eh, nice move girlie; almost a shame I have to do this." Fuu immediately frowned as Tazuna moved a piece of his own, cutting off Fuu's attack on his king and simultaneously putting her back on the defensive, at least if she wanted to keep any semblance of control over the board.

"But how?" Her eyes narrowed as she studied the entire board again, wondering just how Tazuna had managed to pull that off without her noticing. Tazuna just chuckled with mirth as he played with one of Fuu's captured pieces idly.

"Heh, for a Shinobi you're very rigid aren't you?" Fuu just continued to search the board before scowling suddenly.

"You cheated." It wasn't so much a question as a statement but Tazuna shrugged in answer all the same, still flicking the pawn between his fingers.

"Prove it." Just like that the game was back on in full heat, this time with Fuu not only scrutinising he board, but Tazuna as well. Naruto had to stifle a chuckle at the bridge builder's ploy; the man hadn't cheated at all, at last as far as Naruto could tell. He simply misguided her into believing that she had absolute control of the game while he moved randomly when in fact he was slowly setting up this entire scenario from the beginning. It could never be said that experience didn't count for anything and Tazuna had experience in the bucket-loads.

"Pretty clever trick huh?" Naruto looked up from the tea he had slowly been sipping from, courtesy of Tsunami, to see Kakashi standing next to him, his eyes lazily following the game in front of them.

"Don't worry Hatake-san, Fuu will work out what he is doing eventually; she's very shrewd when it comes to these things." Kakashi just nodded slowly before offering a lethargic shrug, sitting down cross-legged next to the young blonde.

"I guess that's to be expected from a Shinobi, even one from Takigakure." Externally Naruto seemed completely unfazed, just casually sipping from his tea; however inside was another story. He was around a second away from simply blasting this Jounin into the ground should he so much as hint at Fuu being a missing-nin. The masked man turned to gauge his reaction for a moment before chuckling lightly, leaning back on his hands in a carefree manner.

"Not even a blink, you really are a monk aren't you?" Naruto languidly finished his sip before calmly placing the cup down, turning to the Jounin expectantly.

"I assume you worked this out with your Sharingan eye?" Kakashi gave him a mock pout, or the closest approximation to one with only one eye and his mouth covered.

"Mou, now the surprise is ruined; although as I understand it you were the one to check me over after my cute little Genin brought me back to the house so I shouldn't be too surprised. I just hope you didn't take a peek under the mask..." his eye crinkled up into an upwards crescent that translated to a smile "...or I might have to kill you." Naruto just remained impassive, the only sign he had even heard was the slight raising of one eyebrow. Kakashi simply pouted again, not really giving off the image of a supposedly powerful elite Jounin.

"Eh you're no fun; it's like talking to Asuma after he came back from his time with the Twelve Guardian Shinobi." Naruto took another slow sip as he calmly observed the man before him.

"I assume you are referring to Asuma Sarutobi?" Kakashi nodded once which Naruto returned in kind. "My Sempai was good friends with him, a very strong and capable Shinobi if his stories are anything to go by." Kakashi could only nod again; Asuma was a good friend of his after all.

"But no, for your information my Sharingan had nothing to do with it; after all her skin colour is very rare outside of Tani no Kuni and from the way she holds her kunai I can tell she is used to ones with slightly longer reach and is having to adjust for that, just like the pronged ones they use in Taki." Naruto actually looked impressed by that; it was amazing that the man could work out so much from so very little.

"Curious girl, makes me wonder what she's doing out wandering with a monk from the Fire Temple, especially since she isn't wearing a headband." Naruto's hand tensed slightly but before he could even think of doing anything Kakashi suddenly leaned back, stretching out his back with a comfortable sigh. "Now while I don't read the Bingo books religiously I think I would have remembered seeing her in there somewhere; kind of hard to miss the dark skin and mint-green hair." Naruto sighed internally out of relief; of course Taki wouldn't put her in the Bingo book, they couldn't let people know they had lost their Jinchuuriki. It would make them seem vulnerable.

"Although I guess that begs the question of why you're out here Naruto? You're a bit far from the temple aren't you?" Naruto found it strange to hear his name from this person, spoken as casually as if they had known one another for years; it was disconcerting.

"This is part of my pilgrimage." Kakashi nodded absently, not appearing to have even heard him at all.

"Naruto, unusual name that isn't it?" The blonde shrugged, sipping at his tea again; he needed to get his nerves under control before this man managed to pry something out of him. He knew exactly what would happen if they were to discover who he was and he had no intention of returning to the village to become a Shinobi. He had seen it for himself with Kirabi; he would be on lockdown, never able to leave the village save to defend it or on highly guarded missions. Missions where he'd be at high risk for dying, and the ones in charge knew it but felt better a Jinchuuriki die than anyone else.

"I wouldn't know as I'm an orphan. I imagine my parents must have loved Ramen a great deal to have my name based on it." Kakashi chuckled at that as he leaned forward, checking on the progress of the game only to find Fuu and Tazuna in a stalemate.

"You know I knew another Naruto once, around your age too, in fact he had your blonde hair as well; although it was a lot shorter back then." Naruto simply raised an eyebrow from behind his tea as Kakashi looked away at the house. "Of course he was a loud-mouthed little kid who couldn't help but prank everything in sight; also his eyes were blue while yours are..." He turned slowly, looking at Naruto expectantly while the blonde simply looked back, a lilting smile on his face as he sipped his tea.

"You know Hatake-san, it almost sounds as though I'm being interrogated." The silver-haired Jounin simply gave him a patented eye-smile as he waved the boy off.

"Mou mou, I'm just trying to get to know you is all." Naruto simply smiled peacefully as he stood up, finishing off his tea in one last drink.

"Well then it was a pleasure talking to you Hatake-san, but if you'll excuse me I have work to do in the village. There's a man there who has been bedridden for a week with a strange fever that is slowly turning his hair white." Kakashi just nodded, watching the blonde walk away with his one good eye.

"Medical Ninjutsu is a rather strange thing for a monk to know, isn't it?" Naruto paused mid-step as he turned to face the masked Jounin again.

"I suppose it is, but I have been blessed with many friends on my travels as well as good senseis. Besides, isn't it more strange for a non-Uchiha to have a Sharingan?" With that he turned and walked away, leaving Kakashi to frown briefly before it was masked by his usual lazy expression. He watched the Shogi game for a bit but quickly grew bored; slow paced games that involved a lot of strategizing weren't really for him. He got up and walked into the house, passing Kiba and Sakura bickering like they normally did. It was Sasuke's turn to guard Tazuna at the bridge so he was conspicuously absent from the room they were occupying upstairs.

'_It could be Naruto, but I'm still not sure.' _The masked Jounin set himself down on the bed, wincing as his still aching body protested, a thoughtful expression hidden by his mask. _'He has Minato-sensei's hair, but being blonde isn't really enough to go off of. He doesn't have the whisker marks but he could always be covering those with make-up. If only I could see his eyes, or if the Hokage had simply told me where Naruto went all those years ago.' _Kakashi sighed heavily to himself and put his head in his hands wearily.

All the Hokage had told him was that Naruto was in a safe place outside the village; Kakashi supposed that could mean the Fire Temple, but it could also mean anything else. However when it had come time for his year to graduate in the academy and Naruto had still not returned he had begun to grow worried for his sensei's legacy. The Hokage remained tight-lipped about it but Kakashi could always see the hints of frustration that came every time he brought it up. He looked out of the window in the direction the young monk had gone and sighed into his mask.

'_What if it is you Naruto?'_

* * *

Sakura wasn't quite sure what to say as she stood there awkwardly behind the mint-haired girl. It was the fifth day since they had arrived in Nami no Kuni and so far it had just been boring guarding of the bridge every day in shifts. Kakashi had informed them of his suspicions that Zabuza was still alive and the masked hunter-nin was actually his accomplice. That had led to some Chakra control exercises that were fairly easy for Sakura. Control came quite naturally too her even if she couldn't stay on the tree for more than a few minutes.

"If you are going to sit, do so. Your indecisiveness is rather distracting." Sakura jumped a little as Fuu's neutral voice suddenly pulled her out of her thoughts. The mint-haired girl was looking up at her impassively and Sakura took the opportunity to sit down carefully, tucking her skirt underneath her so it wouldn't get too dirty from the ground. For a minute the two simply at in silence, Sakura trying to think of what to say and Fuu content to read the scroll in her hands.

"What are you reading?" Fuu suppressed an irritated sigh and simply moved the scroll so Sakura could see it better. However the complicated diagrams and anatomical drawings on the scroll didn't make much sense to the pink-haired girl so they lapsed back into silence again. "So what is it like, travelling with a monk like Naruto-san?" This time Fuu actually did sigh as she slowly rolled up the scroll, storing it in her pouch before turning to look at Sakura with that same, impassive expression.

"What is it you really wish to say Haruno-san?" The pink-haired girl's eyes widened for a moment at the tense tone Fuu spoke with. She had been getting the distinct impression that the girl didn't like her the entire time they had been staying here but she couldn't remember what she could have done to deserve it.

"Ah, um, I wanted to know how you became so strong." Fuu stared at the girl for a full ten seconds as her eyes slowly narrowed, searching the girl's face for any hint of a trick.

"I do not understand what you mean. I became strong because I trained." She didn't miss the slight upturn of Sakura's nose at that.

"But don't you get all sweaty and grimy?" Again Fuu simply blinked in confusion, not entirely sure where the Konoha Genin seemed to be going with this.

"Yes, that is generally the human body's response to intense physical exertion." Again Sakura's face twisted into one of mild disgust at the prospect.

"But isn't there a faster way? One that doesn't make you dirty or less good-looking" Fuu was quickly becoming tired of this fruitless conversation; Sakura clearly was just fishing for a way to get strength without sacrificing beauty to get it, even if it was only a temporary sacrifice. Fuu found such a desire to be shallow and childish, and it was only her natural restraint that prevented her from simply standing up and leaving; that, and the fact that Naruto had encouraged her to try and interact with the Genin.

"There are no shortcuts to strength." Sakura frowned at that before glancing towards the pouch Fuu had placed her scroll in.

"What about that medical Ninjutsu; that's mostly just Chakra control right? If you can do it then I bet I can pick it up pretty quickly." This time Fuu's emotionless mask splintered slightly as her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"What are you implying about me?" Sakura's eyes widened slightly as she realised how what she just said might have sounded.

"Oh no, I just meant that Chakra control comes pretty naturally to me and you know, you're not from an actual village or anything." If possible Fuu's eyes narrowed even further as her previously steady expression turned into a mild glare, making Sakura slightly nervous.

"You think that a strip of cloth and metal makes you somehow superior to me?" Sakura quickly brought her hands up instinctively, waving them in front of her.

"No! No no, I didn't mean that!" She had seen this girl fighting Sasuke and although she knew Sasuke must have been holding back for her sake she still seemed incredibly strong; she wasn't the type of person Sakura wanted to anger.

"Then what _did_ you mean?" Sakura paused for a moment, very carefully contemplating her next words, wary of the fact that Fuu's expression had once again become neutral, something that was scarier than when she seemed angry.

"It's just, you know, people go to hidden villages because that's what we do, we protect people because we are the good guys." There was a tense moment of silence before Fuu snorted in amusement, making Sakura chuckle nervously at the sudden change in her personality.

"You are very, _very_ naïve." Sakura looked up at Fuu who was looking at her with an expression she couldn't place; it was like a mix of pity and contempt. "Shinobi are not the 'good guys'. Your village are not the 'good guys'. Shinobi are nothing more than mercenaries for hire. For every protection mission there is an assassination, for every client you save there is another target you kill, all under the order of the Kage who in turn answers to the client. Your jobs are based on the desires of the one paying for your work, and have nothing to do with the job being 'good' or 'bad'." Fuu stood up, deciding she had enough of this conversation; Naruto could tell her all day to socialise with people but she refused to have such an inane conversation.

"Are you saying Shinobi are nothing but tools?" Fuu paused for a moment, considering it; she had once thought that way in Taki, thought that she was nothing more than a tool, a weapon to be pointed at the enemy and let off the leash, figuratively. Of course Naruto had changed all that, showed her that she was a human beneath the layers of blood on her hands.

"No, Shinobi are people and like all people there are the good, the bad, and everything in between; however as long as you follow the orders of your Kage blindly you are simply an extension of the village. Shinobi can lead happy and fulfilled lives, find love and even find family..." the girl's expression darkened as she turned away, walking off to find Naruto "...but never think that Shinobi are ever the good guys." She walked off on that note, leaving a gaping Sakura in her wake, her mind reeling over what she had just been told.

* * *

It was a fairly normal Thursday in Nami no Kuni; there was a light fog rolling in off the coast and the streets were quiet. However out on the bridge there was only silence; there wasn't a soul in sight as two figures stepped onto the concrete surface of the expansive crossing. The first was a large, muscled man wearing a sleeveless black vest with matching pants and bandages wrapped around the lower half of his face. However the most remarkable thing about him was the enormous sword strapped to his back, almost as long as he was tall.

The second figure was much smaller, wearing the traditional battle-kimono of the Kiri hunter corp. He had two long sleek bangs framing his face, or would have if it wasn't covered by a white porcelain mask decorated with scarlet designs and engraved with the symbol of Kirigakure no Sato. He carried no visible weapons but his way of movement showed training in Taijutsu. The two looked around curiously, having expected to see a bridge bustling with workers, looking to make the most out of the early morning sun.

"I sent the workers home as soon as I felt you coming Momochi-san." Suddenly the two figures were not alone on the bridge as another seemingly materialised from the surrounding fog.

"Ahh, so you're the brat Haku keeps going off to see, Naruto right?" The blonde stepped forward, a pleasant smile on his face as he nodded in the duo's direction.

"And you are Haku's master, Zabuza Momochi, Demon of the Hidden Mist and member of the first generation of the Seven Swordsmen." Behind his bandages Zabuza gave a shark-like grin with his pointed teeth.

"Ah, it feels so good to be recognised by the youth of today." His grin faded as he pulled the enormous sever-sword, Kubikiribouchou, from his back. "Haku told me that you were no threat and I trusted him; so what's the deal? Decided to try and stop us?" Naruto just shook his head, sparing a glance as Haku who looked away as soon as he felt the blonde's gaze fall on him.

"No, I simply came to offer you a choice." Zabuza's eyebrow rose in curiosity as he placed the blade of his sword again the cold concrete with a resounding ring of metal. "As you know Tazuna will be here in a few minutes with the Konoha Shinobi, Kakashi Hatake along with them." The swordsman grimaced at that, he was still sore from his last bout with the Sharingan-user. "All I'm asking you to do is turn around and walk away, leave the bridge-builder be and allow this country to finally regain its legs." Zabuza stared at the young boy in front of him, standing there fearlessly before him.

"Is this some kind of joke kid? Don't you know who I am? I might be a missing-nin but I still have self-respect; I don't just drop a mission half way through." Naruto sighed, knowing that the bandaged Kenjutsu expert would be a lot harder to talk to than Haku.

"Last I checked missing-nin slashed their forehead protectors." Zabuza just scowled again, lifting his blade up to rest it across his shoulders threateningly. "There's no need for you to do this. The bloodline rebellions are over, you can go home now." Zabuza grunted as Haku turned to look at him, as expectant for his answer as Naruto was.

"I know, Haku told me what you told him." Naruto almost blinked in surprise at that, his shakujou jingling as he shifted his weight, his expression becoming slightly confused.

"Then why continue to work for a man like Gato?" Zabuza grunted again, a part of him wondering why he was even talking to this kid. Every time Haku had gone out this week he always came back with another story about this brat, he was also smiling a lot recently.

"Even if I were to believe you kid, and the bloodline wars really are over, who's to say I would be welcome there?" Naruto wasn't sure how to answer that without revealing too much; if he started talking about key figures in the rebellion like Mei or Ao then it would only raise more questions that he didn't have time for.

"Isn't it worth the chance?" Zabuza went quiet for a moment before another shark-like grin spread across his face.

"Fine then kid, soon as we're done with this mission I'll head on back to Kirigakure and see what's what." Naruto sighed, somehow predicting it would come to this; at the end of the day Zabuza was known as the Demon of the Mist for a reason.

"Do you not see what Gato is doing to this country?" His voice had almost taken on an imploring tone however Zabuza just shrugged, the large sword on his shoulders shifting with his weight.

"A client's a client and the fate of this country really isn't my concern. I've been paid to get rid of the bridge builder so until I'm dead or he is then my job isn't over." His grin turned into more a of a sneer as he took a step forward, his blade swinging around to point squarely at the young blonde. "So what's it going to be kid? You going to try and stop me?" Naruto sighed before taking a step back, leaning against his shakujou slightly.

"No, like I promised Haku I won't interfere with any of the fights." He looked up suddenly, his face a mask of determination and steel as the grip around his staff tightened. "But Tazuna is the last hope of this country and I won't let anything happen to him." Zabuza seemed ready to respond but was cut off by a loud cheer as five more people and one dog made themselves known at the end of the bridge.

"Yahoo! I told you I smelled them!" Kakashi nodded to his excited Genin as he stepped forward, his eyes scrutinising Zabuza, Haku and finally Naruto.

"Good job Kiba, you know what we planned; you and Sasuke deal with the fake hunter-nin while Sakura protects Tazuna." His eyes lingered on Naruto for a moment longer before turning to face Zabuza.

"I thought you were alive." Zabuza's grin returned as he once again slung his sword across his shoulders, assuming an easy stance.

"You can't kill a demon that easily." His sword came down, clanging noisily against the concrete with a bone-chilling sound. "You may have caught me off guard before Sharingan no Kakashi but your little mind games won't work on me a second time. Go ahead Haku, deal with the little Genin; me and Kakashi have some catching up to do." As the Shinobi all suddenly burst into action, Kiba and Sasuke launching themselves at Haku while Kakashi and Zabuza began to lightly clash against one another, Naruto slunk back, suddenly appearing near Tazuna and Sakura.

"Hey kid, you sure you should be out here? It's dangerous." Naruto didn't even look around at Tazuna, although he admired the man's bravery; with the amount of killing intent Zabuza was layering the air with it was surprising he could still talk.

"No need to worry about me Tazuna-san, I am only here to observe." He smiled brightly, taking his eyes off the ensuing battles for a moment to give the old bridge-builder a cheerful grin. "While I'm here you have nothing to worry about." Tazuna could only stare at the blonde that seemed completely unconcerned by the fast-paced fighting going on all along the bridge. Naruto himself was watching Kiba and Sasuke fight Haku; Zabuza and Kakashi were fairly well matched so their fighting was mostly just quick skirmishes as one tried to find an opening in the other's defences.

The Genin on the other hand were putting everything into their fight, apparently having received a great deal of speed from their training over the week that almost put them on par with Haku. That, combined with their somewhat sloppy teamwork was beginning to put Haku on the defensive. Naruto sighed from where he was leaning against the raised section bordering the bridge; he was here to protect Tazuna but he also didn't want anything to happen to Haku either. Suddenly there was a slight whisper of air being displaced in a Shunshin and Fuu was next to him, her own orange eyes carefully scouting out the battles.

"Tsunami and Inari are safe; Gato sent two thugs but they were undisciplined and incapable of fighting a Shinobi; I left a few shadow clones behind just in case." Naruto just nodded as his eyes continued to dart about with the Genin's erratic movements. He was surprised at one point when Haku began using one-handed seals; he wasn't even aware that such things existed. Suddenly though the entire tide of the battle seemed to shift as Haku erected what appeared to be a dome of mirrors made entirely of ice around Sasuke and Kiba.

From the side Naruto's eyes widened; he had thought there was something odd about Haku's Chakra when he was looking at it. He couldn't place it but it reminded him a lot of some of the people in the bloodline rebellions with Kekkei Genkai, he just hadn't realised what bloodline Haku possessed. The knowledge that he could create ice was surprising, but somehow very appropriate for the boy's personality. Looking at it now he could see it; his Chakra moved slowly through his coils, in some places almost appearing to be static, yet at the same time it was light and airy, unlike earth-natured Chakra.

He watched, enraptured as the boy displayed his ability to move at incredible speeds, far surpassing what most Jounin could follow, between the mirrors. Sasuke and Kiba stood little chance against the ensuing onslaught of senbon that practically came as a barrage from every mirror. Naruto was actually worried for a few moments, knowing the consequences if Haku were to kill the Genin, at least until he noticed the boy was only aiming for non-vital spots. He breathed a sigh of relief as Sasuke finally slumped to the ground, a pained grimace on his face as the mirrors collapsed into water around them. He was injured and would be sore for a while but he was definitely alive; unfortunately that pleasant thought was cut short but the sound of birds chirping.

"Raikiri!" Naruto looked over to spot Kakashi facing down Zabuza, his hand enshrouded by a layer of crackling white lightning Chakra. It was so concentrated that it actually hurt to look at slightly for Naruto's Chakra-sensitive eyes. Zabuza was held still by a group of dogs, each sinking their fangs into him at different parts of his body, immobilising him so that Kakashi had a clean shot at him. However Naruto wasn't the only one to notice this and as Kakashi charged at the immobile swordsmen the water hanging in the air between them began to crystallise.

There was a squelch as a lightning-coated hand passed through flesh; however silence reigned on the bridge as everybody stared at what just happened. Kakashi seemed especially shocked to have his hand sticking out of the chest of not Zabuza, but Haku instead, having used his speed technique to intercept his Raikiri just in time. The boy smiled as blood dripped from the corner of his mouth before slumping to the floor.

"HAKU!" Nobody even saw Naruto move, one moment he was calmly observing the fights and the next he was by Haku's side, his eyes frantically roaming over the boy before staring uselessly at the gaping hole in the middle of his chest. A switch seemed to flick in his mind as suddenly everything around him vanished, it was just him and Haku as his hand lit up in an almost blinding green light. Instantly he was pressing against the wound, forcing his Chakra into Haku in an attempt to first stop the bleeding.

However it seemed fruitless as copious amounts of it began to pour over his hands; many of his arteries had been severed even if the heart itself hadn't been damaged; although Naruto could actually see it, pumping away. He could literally watch each pump of the vital organ grow progressively slower as the light started to fade from Haku's eyes. He seemed to try and speak at some point but all that came out were half-form gasps as flecks of blood found their way onto Naruto's clothes, not that he cared.

"Please Haku, just hang on!" His voice was desperate now as his hands glowed with useless Chakra; vaguely he heard cries behind him and the sounds of steel ripping through flesh but it all just sounded like static. Finally Haku managed to turn his head towards Naruto, a small smile on his lips as he opened his mouth to speak but all that came out was a single lingering exhale as the light finally left his eyes. Naruto froze there, staring down at the final image of Haku, uncaring of the growing pool of blood he was kneeling in.

But it wasn't Haku... It was Shizuku staring up at him with those lifeless glassy eyes. Her vibrant purple hair was stained red as it fanned out beneath her, matching the stains across her kimono top. Naruto just trembled for a moment as he stared down at her limp hand, clasped in his own, a single tear welling up in his eye.

'_No.'_ He didn't want this to be happening again, he didn't want to see this.

"No." His free hand slowly curled up into a fist as Chakra began to seep from his body like a beacon of light.

"No!" His hair began to lift up from the sheer magnitude of the Chakra he was emitting, a bright aura forming around his body as the outermost ring of his Rinnegan pulsed energetically.

"Gedou: Rinne Tensei!" There was a brief moment where the images of Shizuku and Haku overlaid for a moment in his mind before he felt feint, his vision going dark as he slumped to the side. He thought he heard somebody calling out his name but it was all just so fuzzy.


	46. Flames VI

**Digi-kun doesn't own Naruto.. why is a mystery to us all... or is that just me?**

* * *

**Sage**

_"Action may not always bring happiness; but there is no happiness without action." – Benjamin Disraeli_

* * *

Naruto woke up to a strangely warm object lying on top of him; the weight was noticeable but not uncomfortable. His mind was slightly fuzzy and his eyelids just felt too heavy to be worth opening so he simply shifted until the odd weight was resting in the crook of his arm. A smile slipped onto his face as he instinctually tightened his grip around it, finding its presence to be comforting. He still wasn't quite sure what was going on, memories seemed to be shifting abut strangely, slipping away when he tried to focus.

There was something about... a bridge, but the thought was gone as soon as he tried to catch it, slipping randomly between crackles of lightning and a bright flash of white light. He shifted his weight again, his mind briefly wondering why the weight next to him seemed to groan at that. He ignored it though, trying desperately to sort through his jumble of memories. He was Naruto, that seemed clear to him; yet at the same time it didn't seem quite right. Wasn't he the Mizukage? No wait, he defeated the Mizukage; a frown creased his brow as conflicting thoughts raged in his mind.

He... He was Naruto Uzumaki. Just like that everything came flooding back, or at least it returned to him; Nami no Kuni, the Konoha Shinobi, Haku. Just like that his eyelids didn't seem all that heavy as he suddenly shot up, his eyes snapping open. He immediately noticed he was in some kind of clearing out in the forest but he didn't know where exactly.

"Haku!?" He frantically glanced around, ignoring the pain from his eyes as the sunlight stung them like tiny knives. Wait, sunlight? He looked up, noting that somehow it seemed to be earlier in the day than he remembered, which meant he had been unconscious for a full day, or maybe more. That of course had him wondering why he had been unconscious in the first place; he only had memories of rushing over to Haku, the boy's blood on his hands and the metallic tang in the misty air.

He heard a rustle from the bushes across from him and his head snapped about; however he sighed in relief when it was Fuu that emerged from the bushes, her hair damp from the bath she had obviously taken. She stared at him for a moment blankly before rushing over to him with a whistle of displaced air; one moment she was across from him, the next she was right up in his face, her orange eyes glancing about with obvious concern for him. After she had made sure he was okay she stepped back, a relieved smile on her face; Naruto had tried to ease her concern but for some reason he was finding it slightly difficult to speak.

"You're okay." He nodded wearily; it felt like his entire body was weighed down with weights. As a Jinchuuriki, lacking energy was not something he was used to; a nights rest and he would always be back to his normal condition. Now though he was lethargic and everything ached, like he had the life force just drained out of his body. He tried to pull himself up to a sitting position but his arms just collapsed under his weight uselessly; luckily Fuu had already snaked an arm around his back and was propping him up with it.

"W-What happened?" His voice sounded small and hoarse, not at all like Fuu knew him to be; it was disconcerting seeing somebody she had always saw as a tower of strength so helpless.

"I'm not sure, it might be best to ask Haku that once he wakes up." Naruto blinked in confusion, his mind was slightly fuzzy still and he still wasn't quite up to speed. Suddenly the warm object that had been pressing into his side re-entered his mind and sure enough when he looked around he saw Haku's still form, lying there next to him on the ground. Just the sight of his limp body lying there like that made his body feel heavier with grief; he had watched another friend die right in front of him; even with all his medical knowledge he had been able to do nothing.

Wait... dead bodies weren't warm. Naruto's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the boy's body, moving the limp arm that was gently resting over his waist. Dead bodies also didn't breathe yet Haku's chest was rising and falling slowly anyway, blowing little bits of dirt away from where his mouth was near the ground. Suddenly Fuu's words struck and his eyes opened wide as he nearly jumped to his feet in shock. In an instant he had rolled Haku over and was staring, wide-eyed at the spot where before there had been a gaping hole from Kakashi's Raikiri.

"H-How?" All that remained of it was the ragged hole in the boy's battle kimono and the slight paleness of the new flesh that had somehow grown to replace what had been lost; however with the boy's already pale skin tone it was hardly noticeable. Fuu at some point had walked over, sitting across from him on the other side of Haku and looking down at the now non-existent wound more stoically, although internally she was still just as amazed as when she had first seen it.

"I am not sure" She frowned as she looked down at the ground, her hands fumbling in a nervous manner Naruto had never seen from her before. Fuu was a lot of things; stoic, controlled, passive and when the situation called for it happy, in a quiet sort of way, however he had never seen her nervous like this before. "Something... happened on the bridge Naruto." The blonde looked up at the mint-haired girl in confusion as he suddenly realised that he had no idea what had happened after he had passed out. As if sensing his question Fuu quickly nodded, looking somewhat glad that she could change the topic.

"While you were attempting to..." She looked down at the body of Haku, she had run her own diagnosis on the boy afterwards and found he was perfectly healthy; unnaturally so in fact. "While you were healing Haku-san, the man Gato appeared on the bridge, declaring both he and Zabuza as useless. He had brought many thugs in order to kill him, obviously underestimating the strength of Shinobi." Naruto just nodded, rubbing his temple to stave off a coming headache; he could tell that medically nothing was wrong with him; however he just felt so unbelievably drained. Gato seemed like the type of man who wouldn't keep to a bargain if there was a cheaper alternative.

"Zabuza called a truce with the Konoha Shinobi before slaughtering the majority of the bandits." Naruto winced as the vague memories of metal slicing through flesh and the screams of many dying men rushed to the surface. He had mostly ignored everything as he attempted to heal Haku fruitlessly, however they had still been there. "He managed to kill Gato eventually but by that point he had sustained many injuries from both his fight with the bandits and with Hatake; as far as I can tell he would have died without the appropriate medical attention." Naruto nodded before pausing and looking up; Fuu just sighed as she realised what he was wordlessly asking.

"I do not know what happened; I was forced to flee before then." Naruto's eyes widened in surprise at that, wondering if the Konoha Shinobi had betrayed them. Once again though Fuu seemed to be able to read his thoughts, making him wonder how she seemed to be able to so easily predict his questions. "Naruto, something happened back there on the bridge." The girl shuddered suddenly, as if remembering something horrible. "Something... appeared as you were trying to heal Haku-san." Naruto at this point was confused, wondering why the normally blunt girl before him was suddenly skirting around the subject like mentioning it would bring back whatever she had seen.

"What was it?" Fuu looked up from where he had been staring at the ground again.

"I-I don't know, I could only see a faint blur where it was but..." Her eyes drifted down again until she was looking at the missing hole in Haku's chest "...but whatever it was, it was dark and trying to look at it was like trying to stare at the sun, it hurt and I instinctively wanted to look away." She shivered again at the memory of that... thing that had appeared on the bridge in a burst of purple flames. Naruto's eyes suddenly widened when he remembered more of what happened on the bridge; more specifically just before he fell unconscious.

"Fuu?" The girl looked up again, still looking visibly shaken by whatever she had seen. "Did I say something back on the bridge?" Fuu blinked before looking up in thought, doing her best to suppress the memories. In honesty she had been far too shocked to even try and remember something like that.

"I think you shouted something, maybe something like 'Ged-"

"-dou: Rinne Tensei." The words just came naturally to Naruto as he found himself just instinctively finishing Fuu's sentence. Fuu just blinked as she was cut off before nodding slowly; she had been distracted but that sounded about right.

"Is it another path?" Naruto nodded slowly, a frown on his face; if that was it then this would be the sixth path, the last if the Sage's moniker was anything to go on.

"Is that not a good thing? You healed Haku with it didn't you? Is that what it does?" Naruto just kept frowning as he looked down at Haku, still sleeping peacefully on the ground.

"No..." he placed a hand on the boy's chest just to reassure himself that the ice user really was alive. "I saw Haku die, his heart stopped beating and I saw his final breath." He winced slightly as he remembered that; luckily Fuu seemed to have washed the blood off his hands at some point otherwise he would still be covered in it. Unfortunately she couldn't do much for the many stains across his robes; he would most likely have to get new ones. Fuu was staring at him strangely, wondering if Naruto maybe just imagined it; after all Haku was right there, breathing steadily.

"Naruto, you can't mean..." She trailed off, not really sure what to do if she had to finish that sentence. Naruto simply nodded, not meeting her eyes as he continued to stare at Haku; his mind reeling over the information of just what he had done. "Actually, that might explain what happened to you." Naruto looked up, confusion written across his face as he caught Fuu staring at him strangely; he couldn't decipher the look at all.

"What do you mean?" Fuu frowned before reaching into her pouch, withdrawing a small hand mirror which she quickly handed to the blonde. Still confused, Naruto looked at his reflection only for his eyes to widen slightly in surprise. Instead of the reflection he remembered, the one he knew he had just a few days ago, a different Naruto stared back at him with those entrancing violet eyes. The changes were slight, probably unnoticeable to most, but for Naruto he couldn't help but see them.

His face had become just a little more angular and his hair had grown longer, quite a bit longer as he could now feel his spiky pony-tail brushing his lower-back. At the front it now hung messily over his headband, only the twin horns managing to poke up from out of the messy blonde tresses. Not only that, but for some reason he now had a single white streak running through his hair. Finally he noticed that his whisker marks had now completely vanished. All in all, minus the white streak, he looked a few months older; however to Naruto, his face was almost unrecognisable.

"What happened to me?" Fuu just took back the small mirror, she didn't have an answer for her friend; although she did have a few strange thoughts about the fact she rather liked Naruto's new look.

"I cannot say, although I imagine it must have to do with whatever it was you did to Haku-san." Fuu bit her lip for a moment, once again making Naruto notice how strange such an action seemed for her, even if it was rather endearing. "Naruto, I have heard of Jutsu that can revive a person shortly after death before." Naruto somehow felt slight weight lift from his shoulders at that, although he couldn't say why. "However, all of them are at the expense of the user's life." Naruto just blinked, uncertain of what to say to something like that. Supposedly he had just accomplished something unheard of, returning somebody's life at seemingly no cost to his own.

No... he had to rectify that in his mind, with his change in appearance, most notably the strange white streak of hair, there had to have been some price he paid. He frowned for a moment, the mention of these supposed resurrection Jutsu sending his thoughts into a whir. Direct Chakra transfer would not work; while your Chakra system was tied to your life, your life was not tied to your Chakra system. The only way it would work at all is if you were somehow using your own Chakra as a medium to directly transfer your life energy into the deceased.

"Ah, so I somehow resurrect..." Naruto frowned for a moment, he didn't particularly like the sound of that; he always thought of himself as a somewhat humble person and that just seemed too much for him; too God-like "...somehow revived Haku at the cost of my own life force; although apparently only some of it." Fuu could only nod, it was the best theory they had right now and it fit into what she had heard about other such Jutsu. Of course each of those was a closely guarded secret by their respective villages and often only known by a few people due to them most likely being Kinjutsu so it would be unlikely that they would learn any more.

"So um, what do we do now?" Naruto scratched his head, pleasantly finding that it was an action he could in fact do even in his weakened form. It was a bit strange to suddenly have all this hair but he would deal with that in time. He looked around, quickly spotting his shakujou next to him and grabbed it, using it to lean on as Fuu looked first at him and then Haku contemplatively.

"Perhaps we should ask Haku-san." Naruto turned in time to spot Haku blearily opening his eyes, looking just as weak as Naruto did. The boy did manage to at least pull himself up into a sitting position, looking around with a confusion Naruto knew all too well; after all it must be rather strange to be dead one second and alive again the next.

"I... what?" Haku blinked for a few moments in an attempt to clear his head; he first looked to Naruto before his eyes widened and he looked down at his chest, staring at the ragged hole in his clothing. Naruto and Fuu stayed silent and allowed the boy to simply take it all in; they weren't sure what the consequences or reviving somebody were, even if it was right after their death. "But I... I was..." He suddenly tilted dangerously, only to find himself supported against Naruto, the blonde having shifted to catch Haku.

"It's alright, just take your time." Haku nodded slowly as he just breathed for a few minutes; finally when he seemed to regain his senses he looked up, purposefully leaning off of Naruto.

"There was that Jutsu, it went right through me, I remember the pain and... and you." He looked around at Naruto before frowning to himself, occasionally shaking his head as if he didn't quite believe something himself.

"I healed you." Haku looked up for only a moment before staring back down at his chest where he could spot no visible wound whatsoever, not even a scar.

"No. I was dead." Naruto widened his eyes slightly at that, wondering how Haku could actually know something like that. Then again maybe asking where the dead go when they die was a bad idea; there might be some things better left unknown for the living. After a moment of silence Haku looked up, trying to catch Fuu and Naruto's eyes but found himself unable to as the pair kept avoiding his gaze. "I was, wasn't I?" After another tense moment of silence Naruto simply nodded; he didn't want to lie to Haku about this. Even over the short time he had come to know the ice-user he had begun to see him as a friend, even if their goals had conflicted.

"Then it wasn't just a dream?" If anything Haku seemed somewhat elated by the news, which was odd but Naruto didn't pry. However as soon as his features set into a small, soft smile they immediately became alert as his eyes frantically searched the clearing he was in. "Wait! Zabuza-sama! Where is he?!" Haku once again found that he was unable to meet Fuu or Naruto's eyes as they looked away; an uneasy feeling rose in his stomach.

* * *

"So I failed." The three stood on the crest of a small hill that you could just about see the ocean from. Trees surrounded it on three sides and in the distance the sun had begun its slow crawl down towards the Horizon. Most prominent though was the enormous sword sticking up out of the ground just in front of a conspicuous mound of recently up-turned earth. "I was unable to protect Zabuza-sama. I was useless as a tool." Behind the boy Naruto just sighed; through his conversations with Haku he had garnered a good idea of just how the boy saw himself. Despite his many attempts to convince the ice-user otherwise he seemed perfectly set in his ways.

"He was the one who gave me purpose in life, the one who saw in me the potential to have some worth and I couldn't even give him that." Haku hung his head, unable to look at that large sword that so appropriately represented his master. "What was the point of it all, becoming strong? I thought we became strong to protect our precious people, but if I couldn't even do that then-" Haku was suddenly cut off as the sound of flesh hitting flesh sounded through the still air, almost deafening in the calm afternoon. Naruto actually blinked in surprise as he saw Fuu with her fist buried in Haku's stomach, her eyes narrowed.

"You are not a tool." Haku staggered back, clutching his stomach in pain as he looked up at the girl shocked. Fuu barely seemed to notice his surprise as she squarely fixed him with her orange eyes, blazing with some indeterminable emotion that left Haku unable to look away. "You are a human, you have loyalties and people you find precious but always remember that you did everything that you could, even giving your own life to protect the man you cared about. Zabuza's death was not your fault; if you want somebody to blame, blame Gato and then let go; justice has been dealt." Haku just stared at the mint-haired Jinchuuriki, silent for a moment as he found words escaped him.

"B-But what do I do now?" Fuu continued to advance forward, her eyes still burning with emotion until she was right in front of the boy. He half-expected her to hit him again and as he was, lacking energy and weak from whatever Naruto did to bring him back, he didn't think he could defend against it. He was surprised then when he only felt her hand rest gently on her shoulder, more so when he felt the same thing on his other shoulder; looking round he saw Naruto there, giving him a warm smile.

"That's for you to decide Haku. You are nobody's tool, not anymore at least. It's time for you to make your own decisions." The ice-user just blinked, his brown eyes staring almost uncomprehendingly at the blonde for a few seconds.

"But..." He looked down, as if he was unsure of how to end that sentence. He turned away from the two, walking slowly over the short distance to the makeshift grave the Konoha Shinobi had dug. He was glad at least that Kakashi had respected his opponent enough to do this; many Shinobi would have simply taken the head and the sword for the bounties. Then again most still thought Kirigakure was in a state of civil war so trying to cash in bounties there was seen as pointless. Either way he was glad that Zabuza had at least this much after death; however he frowned as he stared at Kubikiribouchou.

"Zabuza-sama would have hated this." Naruto looked on curiously as Haku walked forward, wrapping his hands around the extended handle of the executioner blade. With visible effort Haku pulled the mighty sword out of the ground before staggering back as its sheer weight caught him off guard. He had never actually held the blade before, Zabuza was more protective over it than anything else, and he felt slight awed just staring down its gleaming length. He noticed Naruto had walked up beside him and was also looking at the blade in thought so Haku quietly clarified.

"He would have hated knowing that his blade was going to waste, rusting away as a pointless grave-marker." The ice-user sighed, the faintest hints of a melancholic smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I believe Zabuza-sama always wanted to go down in a fight; I think it's the way all swordsmen wish to die, never giving up until the end." He shifted the blade in his hands, finding he was barely strong enough to keep it raised like it was. "I think he also wanted to re-form the Swordsmen; he always talked fondly of his fellow members, even if I think most of them outwardly hated each other." At this point Naruto was sure Haku wasn't even talking to them as much as he was talking to the sword itself.

"Is that what you want to do?" Haku paused for a moment, his hand trailing the metal of Kubikiribouchou slowly before he stopped, a look of sadness crossing his face.

"No; that was always Zabuza-sama's dream." He stared at the sword for a moment, unsure of what to do with it now that he had taken it from the earth. "I could never be a swordsman anyway, it is not suited to my style. Zabuza-sama always said so. He told me it was disappointing he had nobody to pass on his skills to." Haku looked down at that; it had always been a secret shame of his that he could never be the apprentice Zabuza had always wanted, just another way he had failed as a tool.

"What do you want to do Haku?" He looked up, once again noting that Naruto's strong hand was on his shoulder. Being that the most amount of comfort Zabuza would ever show him openly was some small praise after a spar he found it to actually be very reassuring.

"I... I don't know." Naruto only smiled warmly.

"Then what is it that you enjoy doing?" Haku looked down at the blade again, seemingly drawing strength from it as if it could directly channel Zabuza himself. He didn't know how to answer that; everything he had done he did for Zabuza's sake. Tools weren't allowed hobbies; they weren't allowed comforts or enjoyments. Haku hated violence of all kinds and the thought of actually killing made him feel ill, however he would have abandoned all of his beliefs had Zabuza simply given him the order. Now that he thought about it there was only one thing he ever did that did not further his training in becoming a more efficient weapon.

"I- I like to heal. Zabuza would get injured a lot so I had to find ways of helping his recovery." Naruto smiled at that; he remembered how he had first met the boy, with the basket of herbs under one arm. "I liked doing it because it not only meant I was useful to Zabuza-sama, but I didn't have to hurt anybody." Another small smile tugged at the boy's lips; learning how to heal while on the run from Kiri's hunter-nin was difficult but it was worth it to help his master.

"That's a good start." Haku, despite himself, found he actually responded to Naruto's warm smile, the corners of his mouth inching up slightly. Haku remembered when he first met Naruto, how the boy had so easily seen what it was he had been preparing. He also recalled many of the villagers talking of him as some great healer, able to fix any injury and cure any illness.

"Your sensei..." Haku looked around at both Naruto and Fuu, assuming that because they travelled together they must have both had the same teacher "...do you think they would be willing to take on a new student?" The boy watched with apprehension as a look was exchanged between the two Jinchuuriki, it wasn't a particularly good look.

"Um, our sensei wasn't the most sociable person. It took a lot for us to convince her to train us even a little." Naruto looked around idly but found his eyes naturally gravitating towards Zabuza's sword; it was just too interesting not to look at. "She also travels a lot; last time it took us weeks to track her down and back then we at least knew what country she was in." He didn't mention the fact he could literally just summon Tsunade to them at that very moment; he didn't think the woman would be all that pleased. Haku however seemed crestfallen; becoming a medic seemed like a good idea, he could finally help people instead of hurting them.

"We could always train you." Both boys looked around at Fuu, surprised at her suddenly speaking up; although almost immediately a large grin tried to force its way onto Naruto's face.

"That's a great idea!" Haku's eyes widened a little, shocked by the ease with which these two were talking about just allowing him to accompany them. Not only that but they would be willing to teach him how to be a medic, quite possibly the only thing he had left now that his master was dead.

"I- uh, I don't know what to say." Naruto's grin died down into a friendly smile as he placed a warm hand on the boy's shoulder.

"You don't have to say anything; it's good to travel with new people and I already know you will be a good friend." Haku just nodded slowly before looking down; he imagined that if he wasn't as socially stunted as he was he might have cried at the affectionate gesture; as it was he simply gave the two a small but heartfelt smile.

"Thank you, the both of you." Naruto just maintained his smile while Fuu gave him a small nod of acknowledgement. However Naruto seemed to get over it quickly as he looked at the large sword Haku was still struggling to hold.

"So what are you going to do with that?" Haku blinked; after pulling it out of the ground he hadn't thought too much about it but suddenly the answer seemed too obvious.

"I wish to return it to Kirigakure; if what you say is true and the rebellion is over then maybe they are looking to re-establish the Swordsmen. This will help them do that and at the same time, hopefully accomplish Zabuza-sama's dream in some small way." Haku frowned though when he shifted the sword in his hands; he could just about lift it but taking it all the way to Mizu no Kuni seemed like a bit of a stretch. "Although I'm not sure how to do that." Naruto walked over, looking the sword over as if checking its dimensions; once he seemed satisfied he nodded before taking out a small scroll from a pouch underneath his robes.

"Not a problem." He reached for the sword and after a moment of hesitation Haku handed it over; to his immense surprise Naruto simply took the blade one-handed, holding it up like it was made of card instead of steel. The blonde caught the incredulous look the ice-user was giving him and smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head as he continued to hold the blade aloft with ease.

"My sensei was very strong; I picked some things up along the way." Haku just nodded dumbly; there would be time to get to know Naruto later if they really were going to travel together. A moment later and the sword was safely sealed away inside the scroll. Haku was no stranger to Fuinjutsu; after all Zabuza had a seal on his chest he could use to summon Kubikiribouchou back to him if it was lost or if an opponent managed to get it away from him. Once the scroll was safe in Haku's possession Naruto looked up, still smiling warmly.

"Alright, do you have everything?" Haku nodded after a moment of thought; he always carried everything he owned anyway; a habit bred from being on the run from hunter-nin for so long. "Well then, let's go." And just like that Haku made two new friends, the first real friends he had ever had. Despite the sadness over his master's death, the uncertainty he felt over this new chapter in his life and the slight unease he still felt from simply being alive again... Haku felt oddly excited about it all.

* * *

Two figures trudged a path towards a house hidden away in the forests covering Nami no Kuni. The smaller one walked with stiff, jerky steps; her entire demeanour screamed of shock and they appeared distracted. The taller one seemed more relaxed but had two medium-sized bundles slung over his shoulders. Both almost sighed in visible relief as the approached the front door to the modest, but still homely house. After the man had set down the two bundles in the beds upstairs he had gratefully joined his smaller companion, collapsing into a seat at the kitchen table and just staring at the wood for a moment.

"S-Sensei?" Kakashi looked up and immediately regretted it because Sakura looked terrible; her hair was frayed and her eyes bloodshot but she was also trembling slightly. The man could somewhat understand how the girl felt; he was a seasoned Jounin and it was still unsettling; he could only imagine how bad it must have been for the still relatively fresh Genin.

"What is it Sakura?" Kakashi sounded as tired as he felt; the fight with Zabuza was exhausting enough but he had to pile on top of that the twenty shadow clones he had created in order to scare of the remainder of Gato's thugs. Not only that but he had then been forced to lug his two male students, who were not particularly light, back to Tazuna's house due to them being knocked unconscious by the fake hunter-nin.

"W-What was that?" The masked Jounin just sighed wearily as he rested his elbows on the kitchen table; he wanted nothing more than to walk upstairs and just fall into a futon.

"I don't know Sakura." The girl was still trembling which just made Kakashi groan internally; whatever it was that had been summoned to the bridge seemed to have put a deeply ingrained fear into the girl, and for good reason. Kakashi had faced many terrible and powerful Killing intents over the years; he had even once sparred with the Sandaime Hokage and the man's sheer Chakra presence was enough to send most Jounin running. However a lot of that paled in comparison when he thought of that... thing back on the bridge; he didn't even know what it was.

"B-But it was..." She shuddered again and Kakashi knew that he would have to get the girl evaluated when he got back to the village. It seemed she couldn't finish her sentence so Kakashi just laid a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Go upstairs and get some sleep Sakura, you'll feel better afterwards." The girl just nodded shakily before getting up to leave; Kakashi didn't trust his own words though, he felt as though even he might have nightmares tonight. As Sakura left the main door opened again, emitting Inari and Tsunami, obviously back from the celebrations the villagers had been having at the bridge. Luckily all of them, armed with whatever makeshift weapons they could grab, had arrived shortly after Fuu had run off with both Naruto and the fake hunter-nin, for whatever reason.

"Tsunami-san, could I trouble you for a moment?" The woman looked up at him, a happy smile still on her face that perfectly matched the one spread across Inari's features.

"Of course Kakashi-san, what is it?" The Jounin nodded, glad that he seemed to have himself under control; it wouldn't do for him to stutter like his cute little student.

"What can you tell me about Naruto?" Tsunami just blinked at the question before a look of slight worry marred her features.

"Did something happen to Naruto-san?" Kakashi just waved the woman's concerns off quickly as Inari looked between the two in confusion.

"No no, nothing like that." Tsunami sighed in quiet relief and Kakashi had to marvel at how much an impact the young blonde seemed to have had on the village after only a few weeks.

"Well then what is it you need to know, did you not talk with him?" At this Inari seemed to nod vigorously; to the young boy Naruto was like an idol and could do no wrong.

"Yeah! What do you want to know about Naruto-niisan?! I mean, you already know he's a super cool monk and he can heal anything! Plus he has those really cool eyes and he told me his staff was really dangerous to touch so I bet that's really cool too and-" The boy was cut off mid-rant as Kakashi put a hand on his shoulder, his one visible eye looking surprisingly serious for the moment.

"What do you mean about his eyes?"


	47. Perspective I

**Digi doesn't own Naruto... why you ask? Well that's a damn good question! Why don't I own Naruto?! WHY!?**

* * *

**Sage**

_"__My loathings are simple: stupidity, oppression, crime, cruelty, soft music.__" - Vladimir Nabokov_

* * *

Naruto had grown to appreciate the nights out in Hi no Kuni during his time at the temple and during his travels he had honestly missed it. He remembered sitting up on the roof with Sora, neither of them having to say anything, and just staring up at the sky. It was always so clear without all the light pollution you got in the towns or even the hidden village; every star was crystal clear hanging against their pitch black back-drop. All that would permeate the still night air was the ever-present rustling of the countless trees of Hi no Kuni's forests and the gentle sounds of cicada's chirping. In all Naruto couldn't begin to imagine a more serene or peaceful atmosphere, and he had been to enough places now to be sure of that.

The three of them had left Nami no Kuni shortly after Haku had decided to come with them, crossing the water separating the island from the continent by simply running across. Naruto had been reminded of the time he had crossed between Kaminari and Mizu as he had been forced to carry Haku part of the way. It quickly became obvious Haku was not the Chakra powerhouse that Fuu and Naruto could profess to be, although he did have exceptional control that made up for it. Now though the trio was camped out in the expansive forests that practically covered Hi no Kuni.

It had been almost a week since Zabuza's death and Haku was slowly getting used to travelling with somebody other than his late master. Naruto made it as easy as possible for him, making sure the boy was always surrounded by a welcoming atmosphere. It seemed to have somewhat backfired though as occasionally he would spot Haku looking at him strangely, almost with awe in his eyes. He certainly did not want to be Zabuza's replacement as Haku's master and how he could prevent that from happened was quickly becoming a concern for the blonde.

He sighed on the travel mat he had laid down; despite the comforting atmosphere and warm night he just found that he couldn't sleep. Quietly he slipped out of Fuu's arms, making sure not to wake the girl that had somehow slipped into his bed almost without him noticing, and stood up, deciding against taking his shakujou for the moment. For a moment he just looked around at the small camp they had set up; at the centre was a smoking pile of ashes that had been a campfire only a few minutes ago and across from it was the conspicuously empty sleeping mat that Haku should have been lying on.

Immediately Naruto stretched out his senses through the water vapour in the air, sighing in relief when he felt Haku just a short distance away from the camp, sitting up on a high branch in a tree. It only took him a few seconds to travel the distance, landing silently behind the boy before taking a seat next to him.

"Having trouble sleeping?" Haku looked around slowly before sighing lightly and looking back up at the sky. From the branch they were sitting on, they had a great view of the surrounding forest and in the distance they could see the warm glow of a nearby town.

"When I try I always have the same dream." Naruto just stayed silent, content to allow his new friend to talk in his own time. "I'm back on the bridge, running towards Zabuza-sama as Hatake closes in with his lightning Jutsu. Everything seems to be going in slow motion and I feel like I'm moving through water. For some reason I can't use my Kekkei Genkai, like my Chakra just refuses to work for me." The water vapour around his hands suddenly condensed as Haku reassured himself he still had his abilities. "However the more I run the farther away they seem to get." He leaned forward, head down as another lonely sigh escaped his lips.

"I always wake up just before the Jutsu hits, but by that time I'm almost too far away to even see them. I just feel so helpless, like I was on the bridge." The boy finally looked up, staring briefly at the sky before looking around to Naruto, a questioning look overtaking his features.

"What do you think it means?" Naruto looked at Haku for a moment, the face that had been so innocent when they first met seemed haunted; bags had begun to form under his eyes and he looked incredibly tired.

"I don't know, I'm sorry." Tsunade had always been about healing physical things, matters of the mind were not her area of expertise even if she could heal the physical trauma of psychological attacks. Haku just sighed as he slumped forward again, this time staring down at the forest floor far below them; the drop may have seemed long to a civilian but to the both of them it was barely anything. "I suppose it could mean a lot of things, I don't profess to be any kind of expert in dreams but to me it seems like you are stuck in the past." Haku looked up, the questioning look returning as he stared at the blonde.

"What do you mean?" Naruto just looked away, his face becoming thoughtful for a moment as he stared up at the stars. In his childhood he had enjoyed staring up at the stars, for some reason it always made him feel less lonely knowing there was an entire sky above him filled with those little twinkling pinpricks of light.

"I know how it feels to lose somebody you care for, to feel helpless over their death." He looked back down, catching Haku's brown orbs for a moment as he smiled softly. "However you can't hold onto them selfishly like that." Before Haku could say anything he raised a hand, quieting his protests. "Always cherish their memory, never forget them..." His smile become sadder for a moment but it could almost have been a trick of the light for the time it lasted "...but allow them to rest in peace; you have to accept Zabuza's death." Haku opened his mouth to speak but found words failing him so for a few moments the two just sat there in silence.

"I'm not sure if I can." Naruto just smiled and patted his friend on the back comfortingly.

"It's not an easy thing to do; trust me, if I could go back and do something, anything to save Shizuku then I think I would." Haku looked around curiously at the blonde.

"Shizuku?" Naruto's smile lessened for a moment.

"That's a story for another time." Haku just nodded in understanding; he had plenty of opportunity to get to know Naruto and Fuu in the future, including their pasts. However Naruto could still see a troubled expression on the young ice-user's face. "That's not the only thing troubling you, is it?" Haku looked up, slightly surprised Naruto had noticed before looking back down, suddenly finding his hands incredibly interesting.

"No, there was something else." The dark-haired boy frowned before shaking his slightly. "But it's nothing, I don't even know if it was real." Naruto said nothing for a while as they lapsed into silence again, this time there was a strange tension hanging between them.

"It seems important to you anyway." Haku just nodded slowly, silence overtaking the duo again as Haku just continued to stare ahead.

"Naruto, what do you think happens to us when we die?" The blonde looked around sharply, his eyes widening slightly in surprise at the sudden question. He blinked, noticing that Haku hadn't turned, he simply looked down at the ground with an unflinching gaze, unmoving; finally Naruto sighed.

"I really haven't given it much thought." A soft smile slipped onto his face as he looked up at the sky. "I like to think that we go somewhere, somewhere good where everybody we think of as precious is waiting for us." He sighed wistfully, the briefest image of Teuchi, Ayame and Shizuku flashing across his vision. "But then again, maybe death is simply the end and we simply cease to be, making room for the next life to come into the world." He looked across at Haku for a moment silently for a moment, wondering why he had lied like that.

After Shizuku had died he had given it a lot of thought, especially considering he had literally held what most likely been Yagura's soul in his hand. It just seemed like the right thing to say and it at least seemed to bring a little peace to Haku as he finally looked up. Naruto gave the boy a warm smile as he gently patted him on the back, a soft chuckle escaping his lips.

"But I should be asking you right? After all you were the one that came back." Any hint of warmth on Haku's face almost immediately faded as his expression turned downcast. Naruto regretted his words as the boy next to him frowned, a slightly pained expression flitting across his features. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean-" Haku just held up a hand, waving away Naruto's apology quickly.

"No it's alright, I know what you mean. It's just..." The boy frowned again as he stared intently at the ground "When I was..." Haku paused to choose his words carefully "...gone, I didn't just stop. In fact, I remember it." Naruto's eyes widened again in surprise. "I don't know if it was just a dream or some kind of hallucination but at first I was walking through this black space; it seemed so vast and infinite that I felt lost just looking around." The boy looked back at Naruto. Seeming to gain some confidence as he talked.

"I don't know how long I was gone exactly but it seemed like I was there for at least an hour. At some point I spotted a light and when I walked over it was like stepping into a different world. One moment I was surrounded by darkness, the next I was in Mizu no Kuni, out in one of the forests. It was night and very dark, I could barely see twenty feet in any direction but I had walked into some kind of camp." The previously pained expression tuned into a saddened smile as the boy glanced back to their own camp.

"My mother was there, she said she had been waiting for me for a long time, even though she was sad that it had come so soon. I didn't know what to say to her but she got up and hugged me, telling me how sorry she was for what happened." Slowly, as the boy spoke, his smile gained warmth as his eyes drifted off, remembering as much as he could of that dream-like encounter. "I-I cried for a while and she just held me, whispering that she was proud of the good life I had tried to lead, proud that I had stuck to my beliefs and never killed anybody, not becoming the weapon she never wanted me to become." Haku's smile dimmed again and when he looked back around at Naruto, tears were percolating at the edge of his eyes.

"Before I could say anything everything seemed to glow green, my mother just looked at me happily and told me that it wasn't my time yet and she would still be there, waiting for me when it did finally come." Suddenly his entire demeanour shifted as a hint of pink entered the boy's cheeks; he shifted nervously on the branch and coughed into his hand. "Then she uh, she told me to find a girl to settle down with so that she could have the grandchildren she had always wanted." Naruto had to stifle a small chuckle as Haku composed himself again, shaking his head to rid himself of the embarrassing thought.

"After that... I woke up in that clearing with you and Fuu." Naruto just took it all in for a moment in silence, absorbing what Haku had told him as the boy looked at him expectantly. "Do you think it was real?" Naruto stayed impassive, his face revealing nothing as he looked away, once more drawing strength from the stars above them.

"I don't think it matters." Haku looked around, shocked, but more so curious about Naruto's response. Naruto just gave him a smile as he stretched his arms out, suddenly feeling rather sleepy. "Whether it was a dream, or a hallucination or not; all that matters is that you experienced it. Do you feel better knowing that your mother is proud of your life?" Haku nodded slowly and Naruto's smile grew. "Well then it's real, because you can use that feeling and continue to make her proud." Haku just blinked at that, leaning back on his hands as he just sat there silently, taking that in. Finally a soft smile of his own settled on his face as his whole body seemed to relax.

"Thank you Naruto, I think you're right." Naruto just nodded happily, noting that Haku was starting to sway on the branch a little as their respective exhaustion from the long walk that day hit them both.

"Good, now come on back to camp, we'll need some rest if we're going to get all the way to Kirigakure." Haku just nodded tiredly as he allowed Naruto to lead him back to camp. He spared one last look up at the sky before yawning and following the blonde, the small smile never leaving his face for even a moment.

* * *

"Hey Temari wait up!" Sand blew lazily across the ground, picked up by the wind into a small whirlwind of dust that was common in Sunagakure. A tall girl with sandy-blonde hair, tied back into four short pony-tails, turned in the street, shifting the large black object on her back. It was heavy and even though she had been using it for years now it was still somewhat uncomfortable; unfortunately her father insisted on her always carrying it. When she turned she spotted a much shorter girl rushing down the street towards her.

"Matsuri, what is it?" She gave the girl a moment to catch up with her as she had obviously run quite a distance to find her. Finally the younger girl stood up straight, brushing her hair out of her face with a smile.

"Baki-sensei wants to see us all, something about the upcoming Chuunin exams; do you think he wants us to enter them?" Temari just smirked at the younger girl, reaching forward to brush her soft, shoulder-length hair over one ear. After Gaara had left the village Temari had taken a turn for the worse; she somewhat blamed herself for not being there for her brother enough. For a long time she was lacking energy in her training, it just didn't seem to be worth it anymore. Sure she was still the daughter of the Kazekage and as such many things were expected of her but she just didn't see the point if she couldn't protect her baby brother.

"Of course he wants to enter us. Hell, Kankuro and I have been ready for at least a year and we all know how far you've come along." The younger girl beamed at the praise; a few years ago she had been the talk of Suna, graduating almost three whole years early from the academy. Suna hadn't had a true prodigy since Akasuna no Sasori and her father had used the opportunity to fill the spot Gaara had left on the team they would have formed. At first it was odd working with somebody so much younger than them but Matsuri was dedicated and highly competent. It certainly helped that she had a secondary affinity to wind which immediately made Baki take a shine to her.

"Cool, we better go find Kankuro then!" Temari just smiled, she had come to see Matsuri as somewhat of a little sister and it felt nice to finally have a younger sibling she could dote on. Deep inside her though she still wished that she could see her little brother one last time, just to apologise that she couldn't be the big sister she should have been. With a small sigh she allowed the younger girl to pull her along; she was sure that whatever Baki wanted to see them about would be important; he didn't usually call them on their free-days.

* * *

"Stop moving around so much bitch!" A cruel laugh filled the night air, accompanied by the sounds of struggle and muffled, but still defiant murmurs of protest. A large burly man with a rusty blade strapped to his back walked along the outskirts of a small town in Ta no Kuni, heading back towards the camp where he and his friends had set up for the night. He had a smile on his face, knowing it was worth it as his free hand shamelessly groped the young girl he had carelessly slung over his shoulder.

"Hey I said knock it off!" He squeezed harder on the soft flesh he had been fondling as the girl once again tried to lash out at him with her legs in a futile effort to make him drop her. All he heard was her quietly whimper in pain, doing her best not to give him the satisfaction of her screams. The bandit just grinned again; he loved it even more when they fought back as it made the whole experience more rewarding at the end. He frowned as the dust in front of him picked up slightly, making him shield his face; he just ignored it, putting it down to the wind.

"Put her down." The man grunted in annoyance as a gravelly voice cut off his pleasant stroll, forcing him to turn around and face the newcomer. He was actually a little surprised when he turned, expecting the low voice to have came from a man; instead he found himself looking at a young boy with rusty maroon hair and thick black rings around his eyes.

"Eh, fuck off kid, can't you see I'm busy here." The boy's face didn't change in the slightest, actually unsettling the thug slightly with the intensity of that impassive, emotionless glare.

"I said to put her down." Just like his face the boy's voice didn't shift from that deadpan, gravelly tone that made small shivers run down the man's back. He shook them off though, drawing his long but poorly-maintained blade with the hand he wasn't using to hold the teenage girl against his shoulder.

"Really? And how the fuck are you going to make me eh? You're just a little-" The man never got to finish his sentence as the ground beneath him suddenly lurched, bursting open as if a door to hell was opening beneath his feet. He was surrounded on all sides by large walls of sand and he had just enough time to scream for a second before they collapsed inwards, crushing his body ruthlessly. When the dust finally cleared the girl was laying there dazed on the ground, surrounded by sand with no sign of the brute that had been carrying her.

"Are you okay?" Her head snapped around at the voice of the young boy, looking completely unconcerned that he had just mercilessly destroyed that bandit without any effort.

"Uh, y-yeah I guess." The boy just nodded before offering his hand; the girl took it gratefully as she allowed herself to be pulled off the ground. "U-Um thanks..." The boy looked up at her, his expression still hadn't changed which was slightly unnerving but he had saved her from the brute of a man so she owed him a lot.

"Gaara." The young girl nodded nervously, it sounded like a Kaze no Kuni name and she wondered why one of their Shinobi would be all the way out here. After all he couldn't fathom how he could do what he did with the sand if he wasn't a ninja.

"I'm Sasame." Gaara simply nodded impassively again as the girl brushed down her clothes. She had long orange hair flowing down her back, forming two straight bangs at the front that framed her face.

"You should get back to your village soon." The girl nodded quickly and gave the boy a wan smile.

"Uhh thanks, is there anything I can do to repay you for, you know, saving me?" Gaara stared at her for a moment before giving a conceding nod.

"Some food and a place to sleep for the night would be appreciated." Sasame managed a wider smile as she started walking back to her village. Her clan wasn't too fond of outsiders but she was sure they could make an exception for somebody who had saved her.

"Sure, I can do that!" As they walked off a tiny smile appeared on Gaara's face, the last two years of travelling had been rather kind to him, or at least eventful. At first he had simply wandered aimlessly, unsure of what to do with himself. Somehow though he always seemed to walk into some kind of trouble wherever he went; it seemed his luck had held true even here. He took a sideways glance at the girl walking beside him before she caught him staring and he turned away. Briefly he wondered why his cheeks suddenly felt warmer but ignored it, he hadn't eaten for a day and he was looking forward to the upcoming meal. He completely missed the hint of pink that had managed to enter Sasame's cheeks when she caught his look.

* * *

"Hey Kurotsuchi, stop daydreaming about that blonde kid again." A resounding smack of flesh hitting flesh echoed through the stone hallways of the Tsuchikage tower as Kurotsuchi buried her fist in her partner's stomach. Of course after a moment Akatsuchi simply stuck his tongue out at the girl, not even seeming to feel the blow that would have decked most Chuunin. The tomboyish girl's eye twitched at her companion's seemingly invulnerability to her blows as he walked off.

"I was not thinking about him dammit!" Akatsuchi just laughed jovially as his footsteps echoed against the stone slabs on the floor. They were deep inside the heart of the mountain that marked the centre of Iwagakure, the most protected and heavily defended space in the country, possibly even the continent.

"Sure sure, whatever you say." Kurotsuchi growled dangerously at the lumbering boy; ever since running into that kid a year ago he had never let go of that one thoughtful look she had sent his way. It wasn't her fault that the kid looked like a spitting image of a younger Yondaime Hokage, widely considered to be an incredibly handsome man, even in Tsuchi no Kuni. Though not handsome enough to make up for all the other things he was considered.

"Whatever, what does Jiji want now?" At that Akatsuchi's jolly grin faded somewhat; she had only ever seen it actually disappear in combat and had to discern his feelings based on the degree of his grin. This one meant that he was nervous or anxious about something and combining that with her grandfather and it didn't bode well.

"The Chuunin Exams are in Konoha this time around, and you know what that means." Kurotsuchi just groaned; she had been on a lot of back-to-back missions lately and the upcoming exams had slipped her mind. Oonoki was always pretty grumpy but it would only get worse whenever some big event was being held in Konoha. The man held no personal feelings towards any one person there, alive or dead, except perhaps for his long-time rival Hiruzen Sarutobi, but after losing two wars to them there was definite bad blood between the two nations.

"Damn it, I just got back as well." Akatsuchi just shrugged, his grin growing again as he thought of what was coming up. Around this time, when Oonoki's moods took a dive he would always lash out at anybody close to him, usually that meant Kurotsuchi due to her habit of walking into his study unannounced.

"Oh well." Kurotsuchi just grinned evilly at her companion as they continued to make their way to the Tsuchikage's office.

"Hey, if I'm going down, I'm taking you with me." Akatsuchi's grin dropped quite considerably at that as his usually rosy-cheeks paled, making him freeze in place for a moment.

"Uh, you're just joking right?" Kurotsuchi simply gave him another sinister smile as she walked off down the hallway. "Kurotsuchi?" The boy groaned pitifully as the girl didn't answer him; with a great deal of reluctance he followed after her. "I have a bad feeling about this."

* * *

Mabui sighed slightly as she looked up from her desk, the never-ending stream of documents and files she had to review and sign off on before sending to the Raikage sat to one side, taunting her. Darui stood in front of her, patiently waiting for her to finish the papers she had been looking over, requests from a nearby farming village for protection against raiders that had been bothering the region recently. She had always liked Darui, he was one of Kumogakure's top Shinobi, a high A-rank, but more importantly he was a naturally quiet person, something she, as a secretary, appreciated.

"If you're waiting to see the Raikage I would wait for a while, he's in one of his moods." Darui winced slightly at that; as one of the Raikage's most trusted guards when he left the village he, better than anybody, understood exactly how he could get in one of his 'moods'.

"Who's in there with him?" Mabui sighed again, slumping forward slightly; she remembered her past, when she had just been a simple Kunoichi, patriotic and naïve like all good Kumo Shinobi; how times had changed.

"It's Yugito." Darui just grimaced; ever since the girl had her Bijuu removed by the same person who had stolen the Kohaku no Jouhei she had been short-tempered and irritable. Putting her in the same room as the Raikage was asking for trouble; she had calmed down a lot recently, especially with Kirabi's help, but she was still very volatile. It didn't help that everybody knew the Raikage held resentment against her for being defeated and losing one of Kumo's prized and irreplaceable weapons to a child, even if Yugito maintained it had to be a henge.

"I'll go then, see you tomorrow Mabui." The dark-skinned woman just nodded wearily, tapping her pen against the desk as she stared hopelessly at the piles of paperwork she still had to sort through.

"Oh Darui, bring your Genin team tomorrow, the Raikage wants to speak to all the current Jounin sensei about the upcoming Chuunin Exams." Darui raised an eyebrow at that, wondering what the leader of their village could possibly want to talk about. At that moment though they both heard the tell-tale sounds of a window shattering before the office door burst open and Yugito stormed out. Despite having her Bijuu removed she was an incredibly formidable Kunoichi and many people immediately rushed to get out of her way; the blue flames encompassing her hands was also good incentive.

"Should we be worried about that?" Darui looked around but found Mabui to be ignoring him, once again engrossed in her work. He simply sighed and strolled out; it was getting too dull for him anyway.

* * *

It was dark and cold, and the air reeked of disinfectants mixed with blood; most of the time these conditions would be a warning sign to most people. Of course Orochimaru was not most people; as he walked down the corridor of one of his many hidden bases scattered around the Elemental Nations he was smiling. It was a sick, twisted perversion of what most would call a smile but it was a smile nonetheless. He was in high spirits as the groans and screams of test subjects rang out around him, echoing off of the uniformly patterned walls that made his bases maze-like and disorienting.

Of course his companion didn't seem to be nearly as appreciative of the dank environment. They moved besides him with a dark expression on their face, mostly hidden by the wide hat they wore, decorated on the front by the symbol of their nation. Orochimaru ignored this though, he didn't expect people to find pleasure in knowledge and understanding as he did, it was enough that he knew. In fact he couldn't care less about other people save as a means to an end, or in the rare privileged case, an interesting test subject. Sure he could feign compassion, put on a fake smile and a warm façade but his cold, calculating eyes were always moving, searching for something to satiate his burning curiosity.

"You know, I would almost find this little meeting amusing if it wasn't so interesting for me." The man walking beside the Snake Sannin just sneered but said nothing, actively avoiding looking at the pale man. "Before the Third Shinobi War you and I would be staunch enemies and yet now you come to me for help." The other man stayed silent again, wincing slightly as a particularly loud scream cut through the other, still unsavoury background noises of the base.

"Do not think we are friends Orochimaru, or allies; you are simply a means to an end." The Sannin just chuckled slowly, his tongue flickering out between his lips much like the animal he took after.

"Oh now that I can understand, I think I will enjoy this little... endeavour." Orochimaru's companion just looked at him in distain before continuing on down the dimly lit corridor. "I hope you understand your role in all this though." The other man grunted as if that was an acceptable answer, not stopping for a moment; he just wanted this meeting over so he could get out of these dank corridors.

"I understand, but what makes you think the boy will even be there?" Orochimaru just gave another twisted grin as he caught up to the man.

"Oh I don't, but I do know just how powerful nostalgia can be." The other man just nodded quickly before moving on. Orochimaru watched him leave from the shadows of his base, his slitted yellow eyes almost glowing in the dim lighting of the candles. "Working with a Kage; how... interesting."


	48. Inferno I

**Digi doesn't own Naruto-kun, if he did then Naruto-kun would never have given me the inspiration to become my own person, stepping out of Lord Orochimaru's shadow for the better.**

* * *

**Sage**

**Book VIII: Inferno**

_"In peace the sons bury their fathers, but in war the fathers bury their sons." – Croesus_

* * *

"I would like to say I'm still against this." Fuu's voice rang out clearly along the forest trail the trio were taking; it was deep in the forests of Hi no Kuni and almost exclusively used by Shinobi due to the treacherous terrain.

"And I've already told you there's nothing to worry about Fuu." Naruto was a little ways ahead of her, his long pony-tail swaying gently behind him to the rhythm of his shakujou's jingling. Fuu had suggested he cut it but the blonde had come to like his hair, white streak included; he figured it made him seem more distinguished now that he lacked his whisker marks.

"You mean besides being captured and forced to stay within the village as nothing more than a weapon?" The hint of bitterness in the girl's voice was unmistakable and out of the corner of his eye Naruto could see her lightly rub her shoulder where her old village headband had once been.

"It's not going to happen Fuu, they won't even recognise us and if worst comes to worst we simply leave." Fuu snorted at that but it didn't sound particularly like amusement, ever since Naruto had declared his plans to return to Konohagakure she had been in a foul mood, worsening with every step closer they took.

"Right, because walking out of a Hidden Village is so easy." Naruto just smiled at the derisive comment jovially without breaking stride; he knew all these objections were just out of concern for him so he could easily forgive the girl for being stubborn.

"It's never stopped us before." Fuu was silent a moment but her eyes still narrowed; technically Naruto wasn't wrong but before they had plans, methods of getting out and nobody there that might recognise the blonde. In Konoha that would be different, there was a reason it was widely considered the most powerful village in the Elemental Nations.

"I still think it's a bad idea." Naruto just chuckled lightly as he dropped back to walk beside the green-haired Jinchuuriki.

"Objection duly noted; you now have the right to say 'I told you so' if anything goes wrong." Fuu tried to fight it but she just couldn't help the small smile that snuck up on her; she just found it impossible to stay mad at Naruto, despite his best efforts to frustrate her, unintentionally or not. "Anyway, Haku wants to go so it's two against one." The aforementioned dark-haired boy who had been trailing a few paces behind them looked up in surprise as he was suddenly included in the conversation.

"Ah, all I said was that it would be interesting to visit another of the Hidden Villages." Naruto smiled at that, still remembering the awed look that Haku had done his best to hide when they had entered Kirigakure. To be fair though Naruto had felt the same on the inside, but for different reasons. During the bloodline rebellions Kirigakure was like the shining jewel of Mizu no Kuni. It was the prize everybody was fighting for, representing victory and control for whichever side won. He and Fuu had left before ever seeing it in the hands of the rebels.

The country had really flourished since the civil war had ended; resources started going back to the people and the economy and communities were finally given a chance to rebuild. Kirigakure though was something else; it had hardly taken any damage during the war so after word that Yagura had been defeated got out there was only a brief period of resistance before the remaining loyalists surrendered. With the Seven Swordsmen either scattered or dead there wasn't really anybody suited to taking Yagura's place.

Kirigakure itself was a beautiful village with rising marble buildings in whites and pale blues with a lot of vines growing along the walls, perfect for the damp climate. The perpetual layer of moisture coating everything just gave the entire village a shine as it reflected the weak sunlight around. In the centre of it all, on top of a vast network of aqueducts that ferried clean water about the village, was the Mizukage tower. It was an enormous circular building that acted as the heart and soul of the Shinobi village.

Of course this perfect serene image had been somewhat ruined by a flying orange blur going by the name Nezumiiro. As soon as word had spread that Naruto had entered the village she had practically sprinted over to the group, tackling the poor monk right off his feet; in all it was a fairly nostalgic moment for everybody. However Naruto had forgotten that they had left Mizu no Kuni rather suddenly without offering much of an explanation, as evidenced when Nezumiiro had asked them where Shizuku was; the mood had instantly taken a turn for the worse.

Later on in Mei's office they managed to extract a more or less accurate account of what happened with Yagura, including Shizuku's death. Naruto did leave out the part about him using his Bijuu's Chakra to defeat the Kage, simply telling them he had activated a new aspect of his Rinnegan. Nezumiiro had left by that point after consoling him, quite thoroughly much to Fuu's hidden ire, over their friend's death. After that it had been a much more simple matter of handing over Zabuza's sword.

Then came the matter of Haku; after explaining who he was and how Zabuza had found him Mei immediately sympathised with the ice user. Both of them had their clans wiped out to near-extinction during the purges. Unfortunately while there were still a few Terumi members around, the Yuki clan had been one of the first to be eradicated and there had been no survivors. Haku took it surprisingly well and later on he told Naruto and Fuu he had already resigned himself to the fact long ago when he had been forced to kill his father in self-defence.

After that Haku had been offered a choice; stay in Mizu no Kuni and work toward rebuilding his clan or continue travelling with Naruto and Fuu. Naruto felt a bit selfish for enjoying the fact Haku chose them but in their short time travelling together he had quickly become a close friend, to both of them. Haku had promised though that when he was older he would return to his village, until then he wanted to learn more about the world and better refine his bloodline. Mei understood, not wanting to pressure any bloodline clans into doing anything due to what they had all been through. She respected his decision, thanking him for the sword and wished them good luck.

However as they were leaving she had mentioned the fact that the upcoming Chuunin Exams were coming up. It was purely because if Haku had stayed she would have considered entering him; but more importantly she noted that they were taking place in Konoha this time around. Just like that Naruto knew he wanted to return to his village; he wasn't sure if it was melancholy or just a hint of homesickness, despite the village not being his home for over six years, but he knew he needed to see Konoha again.

Right now they were just a few miles away from the village itself; they hadn't been travelling at ninja speeds so the entire journey had taken around three weeks. There was plenty of time for the three to get to know one another, each telling the other about their respective pasts. It turned out they all had far more in common than they had previously thought. All three were orphans, all three knew the loss of a precious person, and all of them knew how it felt to be hated and persecuted for a power they had no control over having.

Fuu and Naruto learned about Haku's early life with his parents, the day he discovered his abilities and showed his mother as well as the day he was forced to kill his father after watching the man murder his mother in cold blood, just for being different. They also discovered quite a bit about what he had learned under Zabuza's tutelage about advanced Chakra control, speed and his Kekkei Genkai. Luckily Mei had managed to provide him with a few scrolls detailing some of his clan's techniques that had survived the purges, in the hopes that it would serve as incentive for him to return later on.

Fuu told him about her treatment in the village, how little she had known about the world besides combat and very specific history before being rescued. Other than that she had very little to tell about herself; her childhood was about as stunted as they come. If anything it was more mechanical than natural. Naruto finished up by telling him about his own childhood, how the villages would mostly pretend he didn't exist. Over the weeks Haku earned their trust enough that Naruto showed him his Rinnegan, telling the boy about it and everything he had gone through to fully awaken it to this point.

After that the three had a genuine connection, one built on shared experiences and empathy for the others' situation. It was also nice for Naruto to have another boy to talk with; there were just some things he felt uncomfortable bringing up with Fuu sometimes, even if she was his best friend.

"I think we're almost there now." Naruto's voice was outwardly confident as his eyes glanced around at his surroundings. It had been a long time since he had been in Hi no Kuni except for passing through and even longer since he had been around the village, and at the time he was only seven.

"And we are supposed to trust your judgement on this?" Over the weeks travelling with the two Haku had really loosened up, no longer having to conform to any kind of attitude like he did serving under Zabuza. Naruto was sure he wanted to simply shift that relationship onto him but instead Naruto coaxed him with a friendly atmosphere and eventually Haku simply accepted the two as friends, nothing more.

"You're not going to let that go, are you?" Naruto's deadpan voice made Fuu smirk slightly as she walked behind the two boys.

"Well you did get us lost for about a week." Naruto just sighed and put a palm up to his temple; Haku was never going to let it go; the fact that the 'almighty Rinnegan bearer' the 'man with the most powerful eyes in the world' managed to get lost in the very forests that were his home.

"I already told you, the map that man sold us was completely fake. Blame Fuu for buying it off him." At that the mint-haired Jinchuuriki sent a mild glare at the blonde before waving casually at the dark-haired boy.

"Haku was the one who said he seemed trustworthy." Naruto just smirked as he nudged the other boy on the shoulder.

"I don't think Haku understands when somebody is untrustworthy." It was Haku's turn to send a small glare at the blonde as he crossed his hands in front of his chest, made more difficult by the bulky travelling cloak he was wearing over his clothing. They had decided that a Kiri hunter-nin uniform was a bit conspicuous so at the first town they had come across they had bought Haku some new clothing. Naturally the boy had chosen quite possibly the most androgynous outfit in there, a simple lilac shirt that seemed far too large for him, leaving the sleeves to hang past his hands and the hem to drape about him like a skirt as well as very baggy maroon shorts that just came past his knees. Over that he wore a simple but thick sky-blue kimono with white trim, similar to the one he wore in his disguise.

"And you're one to talk? Are you not the one who was naïve enough to believe that talking to me when I was quite obviously hostile was a good idea?" Naruto's smirk flipped to a genuine grin at that as he casually wrapped an arm around Fuu's shoulders.

"But wasn't it?" Fuu's eyes narrowed in mock irritation but her small smile belayed how she really felt.

"That's beside the point." Naruto's grin only grew at that; at this point Haku had started to drift behind the pair slightly. It wasn't uncommon for them to start talking and just sort of forget Haku was there; he couldn't blame them as he had a rather meek presence and was quite quiet unless prompted. Of course Naruto immediately noticed him trying to slink back and blend in with the road and immediately grabbed his hand pulling him back up.

"Where are you going, I thought we were talking, ne?" Haku merely offered a timid smile but really had nothing else to say so the group lapsed into a brief silence. Luckily for them it couldn't last too long as the tree line finally broke before them to reveal a sight that Naruto hadn't seen in over six years.

"Wow, I never imagined it was so large." Naruto found a grin forming on his features as Haku's awed voice cut through the group's silence. Konoha really was a sight, bathed in the light streaming down from the mid-morning sun, reflecting off of shop windows and metal ornaments hanging in merchant stalls. The many red tiled roofs of the old and new buildings, mish-matched together to create a diverse, ever-changing landscape of traditional and modern housing. The village itself was a sprawling mass of streets and people, spreading out in a large semi-circle from the mountain that stood sentinel over it.

That was the most impressive part, the Hokage monument; a towering mass of rock and stone that could cast the entire village into shadow if the sun was behind it. Engraved on it were the likenesses of the village's greatest heroes and leaders, the Hokage, past and present. Naruto took a moment to look at the visage of Hashirama Senju, the man who had captured the majority of the Bijuu and handed them out in an attempt to balance the power of the nations. He had caused a lot of problem for the Bijuu in his bid for peace but Naruto couldn't fault him for that, he had been acting in the best interests of his people and didn't know the consequences of his actions.

"Yeah, it's really something isn't it." Naruto's grin turned into a lopsided smile as he looked out at his home village, it really hadn't changed since he'd been gone. At least not in any ways he noticed.

"It's certainly very large." Naruto sighed at that; Fuu's tone was clipped and withdrawn, telling of her dislike of the situation. She wasn't very happy with walking into a hidden village after her childhood; he suspected the only reason she had been even remotely comfortable in Kumogakure was due to how soon it was after she had left Takigakure. Now that Naruto thought about it though she had been very reclusive and introverted then as well. Kirigakure had been fine because they were constantly surrounded by people she at least knew somewhat and knew mean her no harm.

"Well yeah, I guess it is." Naruto shrugged, he supposed he should be glad Fuu was talking at all; he could tell she was secretly unhappy with him for this, even if she wouldn't openly admit it. It took them another few minutes to hike the rest of the way to the village and most of the way there was a slightly awkward silence between the trio. Naruto couldn't think of what to say to Fuu while Fuu simply didn't want to talk; Haku was perfectly fine blending into the silence as he was used to it at this stage in his life.

Eventually the great wooden gates of Konohagakure loomed before them like proud sentinels of the Shinobi village. They were opened all the way to admit the many spectators and nobles that had travelled far to see the newest batch of potential Chuunin. These events were more of a publicity affair than actual tests to determine a rank, after all most Shinobi made their rank through field promotions. The exams themselves were mostly to show off the power in the newest generation, representing the power of their village as a whole in order to draw in clients.

"Eh, excuse me?" Naruto looked around, noticing the guard sitting in a small box-like building just inside the gate. He blinked as he realised he had been daydreaming before walking over to the guard, a tall man with his dark purple hair hanging out in long spikes with a small strip of a beard and a bandage wrapped across his nose.

"Hello, we'd like to enter the village." The man just looked past him at Fuu and Haku disinterestedly, probably bored at having to admit so many people; that at least would work in Naruto's favour. He doubted that many would recognise him without his whiskers but just in case he wore his sugegasa to hide at least the top of his hair; the long spiky pony-tail he could do little about.

"Yeah, you here for the Chuunin Exams?" Naruto just nodded pleasantly, his usual squinted look firmly back on his face. Travelling with Haku and Fuu, who knew all his secrets, he hadn't had to bother but he definitely couldn't risk people seeing his Rinnegan. Most of these people were highly trained Shinobi and even if they didn't recognise it as one of the legendary three it was still obviously a Doujutsu of some sort. "Alright then, you need to sign a waiver stating you won't cause trouble in the village, anything you do will be made accountable to you or your friends and the Shinobi will be able to deal with it as they see fit." Again Naruto nodded but a small frown flickered across his face; he realised it was a ninja village but the amount of unquestionable power they held was somewhat troubling.

"Well alright then, you're welcome to get a room in any hotel besides those closest to the training grounds to the east and west of the village, those are reserved for the foreign participants." Naruto just nodded again, figuring that talking as little as possible would most likely help in keeping his identity secret. "Enjoy your stay in Konohagakure no Sato and enjoy the Chuunin Exams. There should be some pretty cool stuff going on this year what with the last Uchiha participating." At that Naruto raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything; that would mean that if he stayed the last Uchiha would have been in his graduating year.

As the three walked away from the small stand he could faintly hear the gate guard whispering to his companion in hushed tones. They obviously didn't expect him to be able to hear them from this distance.

"Did you see that symbol on his robes?" The other guard, a man with lank brown hair tired up in a bandana with a strange skin-tight underlay that came all the way up to his chin, just responded with a near-unintelligible grunt, obviously far too bored to be looking at people's clothing. "It was the symbol of the Fire Temple; I wonder what one of their monks is doing out here." Naruto slowed his pace slightly so he wouldn't walk out of range of the two.

"Eh what do you mean? He's probably just here for the Chuunin Exams like everybody else." His tone conveyed his absolute disinterest with the subject; it appeared his partner would often talk to him about inane things.

"They don't usually care about that kind of stuff right?" The other guard merely shrugged, looking about ready to drop to the desk and just sleep.

"Eh, one of Asuma's brats is in it right? Maybe he's just here to see him; maybe he's one of the Guardian's students come to see another." The first guard just frowned, seemingly unconvinced; although Naruto had a sneaking feeling that he was simply trying to find excitement in his dull day, thankfully for the blonde.

"Maybe, but should we report it to the Hokage anyway?" At that Naruto nearly froze, but managed to just slow his pace again slightly, confusing Haku as the boy hadn't been trying to listen to the two Chuunin's conversation.

"Eh just let it go man, ain't it bad Karma or something to mess with monks?" At that Naruto let out an inaudible sigh, picking up his pace once again.

"Yeah I guess you're right." A soft smile replaced the worried frown that had crept onto Naruto's features and with more confidence in his step the young monk continued on into the village with his friends. Luckily they didn't seem to attract much attention; after all they were just three kids walking through the village. They were dressed a little strangely but with all the foreigners flocking to Konoha for the Chuunin Exams, different was the norm.

"So where are we going first?" Haku nudged the blonde slightly as they walked, pulling the boy out of his thoughts. The familiar sights and sounds of his childhood home had sent Naruto off into his memories, picking out little details he remembered from when he was seven. The alleyway they had just walked past had been one of his favourite escape routes when running after a prank, there was a little hole in the fence just large enough for his young body to fit through while his pursuers, generally angry prank victims, had to take a longer way.

"I want to show you guys around, but first I think we should find a place to stay, the exam's final round isn't for a few more days." Fuu just nodded from his right; she had a neutral look on her face since entering the village but Naruto had known her too long not to recognise the fact she was mentally withdrawing on herself. The mint-haired Jinchuuriki was not good with large gathering of people and you didn't get a much larger or more diverse crowd than the melting pot that was Konohagakure.

"So a temple then." There was no question in her impassive voice but Naruto nodded nonetheless, stopping for a moment to dredge up six year old memories. It made him wonder how he had actually managed to remember things before his Rinnegan made his memory practically photographic.

"Yeah. If I remember right then I think there should be one a few streets from the main market; the man there was always nice to me; he gave me food sometimes." At that a small smile finally wormed its way onto Fuu's face; it was good to know that out of all the stories Naruto had told her of his pained childhood there had been a few decent people. Of course the fact that a young boy would have to think so much of even the meagre offering of food a monk could give him was equally depressing, making the smile immediately slip away.

A few minutes later and a lot of navigating through bustling market streets and the trio were standing outside of a small, dilapidated temple. However the building seemed deserted, the glass on the windows was choked with dust and the door itself didn't seem to have been opened in years. As Naruto remembered it the kindly man who had lived there, who he now understood to have been a monk, had always prided himself on how well he maintained his home and place of meditation. A elderly woman who was out sweeping her porch noticed Naruto staring at the building in confusion, sending him a kindly smile.

"I don't know what you expected to find here sonny but the old monk that lived there is long gone." Naruto widened his eyes slightly, broken out of his confusion by the croaky voice.

"Do you know where he went?" The woman peered at Naruto for a moment and for a second he feared she had recognised him, however she simply appeared to be looking over his robes before her eyes lingered on the long monk-staff in his hand.

"Ahh, you're a monk then; no sorry, I have no idea where he went." The woman sighed, resting against her broom and wiping a few strands of her greying hair away from her eyes. "Shame too, very nice man, always helping everybody he could. One day he was here, doing what he usually did, then around six years ago he just up and left. Apparently he got some kind of message from the head monk of the Fire Temple itself telling him to move out of Konoha." The woman shook her head before allowing a kindly smile to alight on her wrinkled features. "But I don't believe that personally; I mean why would he ask him to do that?" Naruto just nodded idly, tipping his head in thanks.

It turned out it was the same story at all of the temples they visited, or at least all of the ones Naruto could remember. It seems six years ago they had all just up and left, there were rumours of them returning to the Fire Temple but at the time Naruto didn't really know anybody so a few new arrivals would have gone completely unnoticed. The time was too specific to be a coincidence though; their leaving seemed to coincide with around the time he had been taken into the Fire Temple.

Finally they had to settle for a small inn that was rather out of the way of the more busy areas of the village, close to the northern edge, near the wall. It was quiet and there were only a few patrons with everybody else jostling for hotels and inns closer to the stadium so that they could get better seats on the day. However it was ideal for Naruto and his companions, fewer people just meant less chance of being spotted and recognised. Although he knew it was irrational due to how much he had changed over the years he still felt like that little kid, just waiting to turn a corner and find those same looks he had grown up with.

* * *

"That's the park; when I was really little the Hokage once took me there. Right in the middle there's this little hill that lets you see over the trees and gives you a really good view of the Hokage monument. He spent the whole afternoon just sitting with me, talking to me about all the great things the previous Hokage had done." Naruto had a tired smile as he walked past the central park of the village, pointing in the vague direction he remembered that hill to be. "I really wanted to believe him back then; I didn't understand why the villagers treated me so differently so when he told me how these men were so greatly respected and loved I vowed to become like them so that I could be acknowledged that way too." Naruto chuckled softly as he looked away from the happy memory, one of the precious few he had of that time.

"Of course now I understand that you aren't respected because you are in a position of power and authority, you get there because you are respected and loved by the people. It was pretty foolish of me but I was just a kid back then, too naïve to realise that I would have to change the hearts of the people if I ever wanted to earn their respect." Haku placed a comforting hand on his shoulder as they walked, Fuu a few steps behind, silently absorbing everything he had been saying.

"It was a good dream, perhaps if things had been different you might have stayed and really changed how the people saw you." Naruto gave a small shrug but his smile did widen slightly.

"Maybe, but who knows? I certainly wouldn't change anything about now though, otherwise I might never have had you two." He purposefully made sure Fuu saw him look at her, making the mint-haired girl look down, a stain of red just peeking out from her caramel cheeks. "Anyway, I want to show you guys this building that had a great view of this little roof garden I used to watch. At night fireflies would gather there..." Haku nodded along as Naruto narrated yet another place in the village he had come to love in his childhood.

They were always such little things like a particularly good view or an alleyway where the smell of baked goods wafted through the air. He noticed that apart from a few, mostly involving the Hokage, Naruto didn't have any actual sentimental places. He also noted that Naruto never once mentioned where he lived to them, instead taking them to these small, but still heart-warming places that still managed to hold a small space in his heart. Haku blinked though as he realised Naruto was no longer next to him; looking around in confusion he spotted the boy a few metres back, just staring at an empty space beside the street.

"Naruto?" The blonde seemed unresponsive but when Haku looked around he saw nothing special, just an empty space to the side of the street. It seemed a little strange there was no building or stall there, considering it was a rather busy area of the village, but other than that it was unremarkable. However Naruto was staring at it as if he could see into the very depths of the pure world itself.

"Naruto?" Fuu seemed just as concerned for the young monk as she rested a hand on his shoulder. She nearly gasped though in shock when she noticed a single tear roll its way down the boy's cheek. Never in her time travelling with Naruto had she seen him cry over nothing like this; in fact the only time she ever recalled seeing tears mar his features was after Shizuku's death.

"It was here." Naruto's voice was barely a whisper as more tears escaped his eyes to join the first, making small streams down his cheeks. "I-I thought..." He just trailed off as he took a step forward, walking out until he was at the centre of the tiny plot of land. "...I thought I had let you rest, but I couldn't." He slowly fell to his knees, much to both Haku and Fuu's shock who had only ever seen Naruto as an immovable pillar of strength. His fingers grasped at the loose earth around him as a few tears dropped to the ground below him as if trying to expel hi anguish.

"I'm sorry Ayame, I'm sorry Teuchi I-I..." His breath hitched as he felt a hand gently wrap around his shoulders; when he managed to look up he saw Fuu staring down at him, a soft, compassionate mile on her face. It was the first show of genuine emotion he had seen from her the entire day but it didn't dry his tears. A moment later he felt Haku's hand also rest on his other shoulder and just about managed a grateful smile to the boy.

"Who were they?" The blonde managed a choked laugh as his grip on the loose soil tightened, making his knuckles turn white.

"They..." A soft smile drifted across his lips as he reached up a sleeve to wipe away his tears as best he could. "...They were family."


	49. Inferno II

**Uhh, are you sure this is alright Gaara-sama? O-Oh okay, umm, Digi-san doesn't own Naruto... um how was that?**

* * *

**Sage**

_"Whatever your advice, make it brief." - Horace_

* * *

The cheers of the thousands of people crowded into the stadium were nearly deafening as the competitors for the Chuunin Exams walked into the arena. People from all across the Elemental Nations, cheering as one for the next generation of Shinobi. Many of the teenagers down there now could quite well become the next Sannin, or even Kage; the great part was that nobody knew. They had all come for one thing, to see some exciting fights and cheer on their respective Chuunin hopefuls. Although a good majority were also cheering for the people they had made bets on.

They were there from all walks of life; high class nobles, farmers that had scraped together the ryo, civilian and Shinobi alike. There were so many people there that it was understandable that the three people sitting up on the roof of the stadium went completely unnoticed. It did help that they were completely invisible to the naked eye thanks to a strategic use of the Boidogakure no Jutsu and were crouched over in a way that would make any Byakugan user simply believe they were Shinobi that had decided to take a seat high up. Although a few ANBU had passed by, giving the spot a second glance as they swore they heard the sounds of eating.

"You know, eating dango like that isn't very discreet." Naruto's voice was a whisper so he didn't alert the very attentive guards that were no doubt highly strung due to all the extra security Konoha would have to put in place during the exams. When the fights themselves actually began they would be somewhat distracted but until then subtlety was key; although Fuu didn't seem to get that message. She happily ate her invisible dango, unconcerned by the slight noise she made; if anything gave them away it would more likely be the smell.

As if to exemplify that very point a kunoichi with vibrant purple hair done up in a spiky ponytail suddenly appeared on the roof in a rather over the top Shunshin that had far too many leaves than were necessary. She was looking around in confusion, occasionally taking a sniff of the air and glancing in their direction. At one point it seemed she was actually about to come over but an ANBU appeared shortly after and politely asked her to leave the restricted area. A collective sigh of relief passed between the three kids; being found in a Shinobi village using a Jutsu obviously designed for stealth was not generally a good thing.

"Okay, I think that's enough dango for you." Fuu's shout in indignation as Naruto quickly tossed the food off the side of the arena wall was quickly muffled as Haku placed a hand over her mouth. The ice-wielder suddenly felt incredibly lucky that he couldn't see the withering look that he could practically feel Fuu giving him. Below them came a shout of surprise followed by an even louder cry of indignation as the dango landed on some poor unassuming spectator.

"I thought you said that the Jutsu hid smells as well." Fuu spoke in a hushed but still very agitated tone as she glared at where she thought Naruto was sitting. The invisible blonde simply shrugged, although he quickly realised that such an action was pointless when nobody could see it.

"It should; I mean it did in Kumogakure." Haku perked up at that; he had been incredibly intrigued when Naruto had shown him the Jutsu and told him it required excellent Chakra control. However unlike Naruto, Haku could not keep it up indefinitely without the Preta Path's abilities; although short stints shouldn't have been impossible. They hadn't yet told him the story of how Naruto came up with it, or even why a monk would need a technique like that.

"Kumogakure?" Naruto just patted him on the shoulder as another ANBU raced past, the signal for them to be quiet until he left.

"Long story, we'll tell you some other time." Haku just nodded conceding, humming his acknowledgment considering Naruto couldn't see him, or at least could only see his Chakra. It didn't seem to matter though as there was another approving roar from the assembled crowds below them; it seemed the trio had missed something as only two Shinobi remained in the arena along with the proctor; a lazy-looking, man chewing on a senbon.

"That isn't very good for the senbon." Fuu just nudged Haku and shushed him, even as the dark-haired boy was frowning over the treatment of his favourite weapon. A hush descended over the crowd as a Hokage stood up, to his left sat the Kazekage, his identity given away by the wide-brimmed hat bearing the symbol of his nation. To his right, slightly further away than the Kazekage, was Oonoki, the Third Tsuchikage. There had been quite a stir when news that an Iwa Shinobi had passed to the last stage of the Chuunin Exams in Konoha; nobody had expected the Tsuchikage to come. Finally on the other side of the Tsuchikage was a man Naruto was all too familiar with, the enormous form of the Raikage himself.

"The refraction is probably weaker considering how wide I've had to make the field." Although Naruto had to admit that when he wasn't holding the layer of Chakra around his body like a skin-tight suit it made it easier to control its shape. Then again that was offset by how difficult it was to simply hold it at that distance, it was taking nearly all his concentration to keep the three invisible; he could barely focus on the matches.

"Shush." Again Fuu quietened the two boys as the Hokage stood up, clearing his throat loud enough for the entire stadium to hear him, no doubt using Chakra to amplify his voice. Naruto smiled gently as he listened to a voice he hadn't heard in years; he had genuinely missed his Jiji. Even if he couldn't have the life he had wanted, the friends he had wanted; the Hokage had always at least done what he thought was right for Naruto. He may not have always been there but that was certainly more than anybody else besides the Ichiraku family could profess to have done for him. In his reminiscence Naruto actually missed what the Sandaime had said in his speech and before he knew it two of the Genin were out at the centre of the arena, eying one another up.

"A Hyuuga, this should be interesting." Fuu's voice didn't really express that interest, devolving into her usual toneless drawl but if Naruto could see her he would have noticed that slight analytical glint enter her eyes. During the Kiri civil war she hadn't exactly made friends with many of the rebels but she had garnered an appreciation for sparring against bloodline-users. Their unique and often unpredictable abilities really fed that part of her that yearned to learn more and considering her early life it was unsurprising she had a healthy curiosity regarding fighting styles. The Hyuuga after all were well known for their distinctive and effective Taijutsu style as well as their Doujutsu.

"They possess the Byakugan correct?" Fuu made a slight humming noise to acknowledge Haku but Naruto could tell she hadn't even looked around. The Hyuuga looked like Naruto remembered the clan to be, a haughty and stiff posture, long brown hair, traditional clothing and the memorable pale white eyes. His opponent was less recognisable with his short greasy black hair and deep maroon eyes, his forehead protector loudly and clearly marking him as an Iwagakure Shinobi. However the Konoha Genin didn't seem interested in that, he seemed to alternate between shooting scathing glares at the single Kumo-nin that had made it to the final round and sneering at his opponent.

"You should just give up Iwagakure Shinobi, fate has already declared me the winner here." Naruto raised an eyebrow at the Genin's tone; it was one thing to be confident about one's abilities, it was another thing entirely to speak in absolutes like that.

"He is rather arrogant isn't he?" Naruto couldn't help but agree with Haku on that one and the Iwa Genin seemed to mirror their opinions.

"Screw you tree-hugger, I don't care that you come from some fancy ass clan or whatever, I scrapped my way here from the streets and you're just another obstacle in my way." The young boy settled back into a rather rigid stance as a cocky smirk settled on his face. Neji didn't look all that impressed with the boy's bravado though and simply settled for leaning back into the distinctive first stance of the Juuken. A faint smile crept onto Naruto's face at the stance as a fond memory passed through his mind.

* * *

"_What do you want?" A tall man with an overly rigid posture stood frozen, mid-step in a stance that was a part of a dance-like movement as beautiful as it was deadly when executed against a real opponent. Nearby a young blonde boy with his eyes squinted in a horrendous impersonation of the Fire Temple's head monk sat, stars in his hidden eyes as he peered up at the taller man looking down contemptuously at him._

"_Your Taijutsu style is really cool." The man's already upturned face managed to twist into a look of even greater indignation as he gracefully slipped out of the low stance he had maintained rigidly._

"_This is no mere Taijutsu style boy; it is the Juuken, the personal style of the Hyuuga clan and it is by no means...'cool'." His voice carried the contempt he felt rather well but Naruto simply quirked his head to one side in confusion, the name struck at a memory of his. Looking up he felt a wave of familiarity overcome him as he noticed the man's pale eyes._

"_Hey! Aren't they a clan from Konoha?" The man sneered again, looking around as if for an exit so he could leave the irritating child alone. "So why are you here at the temple? Did you have to leave like me?" Looking back at the small blonde the man noticed he was no longer imitating Chukaku, obviously too distracted to remember to narrow his eyes. It revealed the light purple, ringed eyes that had been talked about in legends for hundreds of years as just that; legends. Right now they gleamed with an innocent curiosity and something else; excitement._

"_In a way." Naruto blinked in confusion; for a moment he thought he had found somebody he could relate to, being forced to leave their homes despite not wanting to._

"_Huh, what do you mean?" The man simply turned, figuring if he couldn't leave the child or make him leave, both of which were against the code the temple taught, he could simply ignore him. "Hey!" The man winced at the young boy's irritatingly high pitched cry of indignation. "Don't ignore me! I just want to understand 'ttebayo!" The man swivelled on a foot, none of his movements anything but the epitome of grace and poise, as he had always been taught. After all, the clan with the greatest Doujutsu in the world had to act the part; although hearing of the powers this young child displayed already put less credence into that belief._

"_Understand? You wish to understand?" Briefly the man's look of disgust turned into something reminiscent of a snarl but years of indoctrination and training couldn't be broken so easily and almost instantly it morphed back into a superior sneer. "You are just a child, how could you possibly hope to understand me?" He reached up to his brow, swiftly removing the leather headband he wore there in a smooth movement revealing something imprinted on his forehead. It was two horizontal lines ending in small hooks bordering a left-facing Manji symbol, each spoke also ending in a small hook. The entire tattoo-like design was done in a pale green and despite its innocent appearance Naruto could see the Chakra faintly pulsing through it._

"_What's that?" The man glared at the young boy for a moment but the blonde seemed to simply ignore the look; obviously rather used to them considering what he contained. The man didn't particularly care that the boy housed the Kyuubi, he had been living at the temple since before the attack but he still looked down on him with the same contempt the Hyuuga did for everybody else._

"_This? This mark represents the cage we branch family members are forced to live in, having them simply because we were not deigned to be born into the main family." Naruto blinked in confusion, his young eight year old mind struggling to comprehend everything that was being said. He didn't really understand the talk about branch and main families; after all the concept of a family being divided in any way was almost incomprehensible to the young orphan._

"_So it's some kind of seal?" Naruto didn't really need to ask, since learning of his burden and his search to free Sora beginning he had seen plenty of them; he knew at least how to recognise them._

"_Yes. It is a seal." At this point the man was actually wondering why he was still even talking to this boy. In his time at the temple, as per an agreement between the Hyuuga clan and the Fire Daimyo, he had rarely spoken to anybody; most of the monks simply went about their business neither ignoring him nor making any special effort to talk to him. Yet this little boy, the age of a first year academy student, had managed to get him to speak more than he had in the past year._

"_Then why don't you just remove it?" At that the man just huffed in irritation, as if the very idea of it was beneath him as well as ludicrous._

"_And you believe it to be so easy?" He didn't even ask it as a question; from his mouth it sounded more like an insult to Naruto's intelligence._

"_Well why wouldn't it be?" Without any warning Naruto suddenly stepped forward, reaching out and poking the man in the forehead, directly over the faint Manji symbol there. The man, in his surprise at not only being approached but actually touched by the boy, couldn't react in time to stop him. However before the instinctual berating could cross his lips his pale eyes widened as a sudden lance of pain shot through his skull. He recoiled in shock, clutching at his forehead in pain as Naruto fell backwards, tripping over his own feet as the man pushed him back._

"_W-What did you do?" The man practically growled it out as he clutched at his forehead despite the pain already dissipating. His trained instincts screamed at him not to show this kind of weakness as it was unbefitting of a Hyuuga yet for some reason he just couldn't find it in himself to care as much anymore._

"_Uh what?" Naruto sat on the ground, rubbing at his elbow that he had banged on the floor as he gazed up at the man in confusion. "You called that seal a cage right? All cages can be unlocked. So I just got rid of it; I thought you would be happy." The young blonde seemed genuinely confused at why the man suddenly seemed so angry with him; he had only been trying to help after all. However as the man's shock subsided and Naruto's words fully struck him his pale eyes once again widened. The throb was gone; the ever present but almost unnoticeable throb that served as a reminder of the branch family's subservience was gone._

"_You... got rid of it?" The man blinked very slowly, his mind struggling to believe that such a thing was even possible; it shouldn't be, everything he had been taught said otherwise. "How?" Naruto stood up again as the Hyuuga did the same, rippled purple meeting pale white._

"_Well all seals need Chakra to work right? That's what the books I read said. Yours took Chakra away from you so I just stopped it from doing that and took out the chakra already in it." The answer was quite rational but coming from the young blonde, with his high-pitched, immature voice it just sounded surreal. "Hey, I don't even know your name anyway." Again the Hyuuga blinked slowly; that was right, he had failed to introduce himself which was another etiquette he had looked over and found himself not caring about anymore._

"_My name is Rohani Hyuuga." The young blonde just grinned, the seriousness as well as the consequences of what he just did completely passing over his immature head._

"_I'm Naruto Uzumaki." Rohani simply stared at the boy for a few seconds before tentatively placing a hand up to his forehead, a single tear valiantly fighting to fall down his cheeks._

* * *

Naruto remembered that fondly; it had been Rohani who had given him the inspiration for his Kaminari no Mai, using the fast and precise finger strikes from the Juuken to instead attack pressure points. He remembered the Hyuuga's surprise at how quickly Naruto picked up the various stances for the style; it helped that Naruto perfectly remembered each step after he had done it correctly once. The man hadn't even meant to teach the boy, after all it was forbidden for a Hyuuga to teach anybody outside the clan their techniques; Naruto had simply started picking them up one day after watching him.

"Ow, that has to hurt." Naruto snapped out of his reverie at the sound of Haku's voice, blinking in surprise when he noticed he had completely zoned out through the match. The Iwa boy lay on the ground, badly bruised and bearing what appeared to be burn marks while the Hyuuga looked none the worse for wear, not even bothering to look at his defeated opponent in favour of glaring at the Kumo Genin. It couldn't have been a long match but judging by the awed and cheering reaction from the crown it had been eventful.

"It was definitely interesting; I had been taught that only the main house members of the Hyuuga could perform the Kaiten." Fuu's emotionless summation had Naruto looking down at the floor; he noticed the distinctive two metre radius indentation that looked like they had been burned into the ground. Being a branch member Rohani was unable to perform the move but he had described it to Naruto, the hint of envy in his voice unmistakable.

From the state of the arena Naruto could at least take a guess at what had happened; there was a long line of loose earth stretching from the Iwa genin's body to the edge of the Kaiten's mark. It was obviously the remains of an earth dragon that had been unable to breach the Hyuuga's impenetrable defence. Naruto had always wondered why anyone believed the defence was impenetrable; all you needed was something matching the rotations of the Chakra dome but in the opposite direction. That would be enough to throw the user off balance, probably leading to their own technique harming them. However even as Naruto thought this the next two contestants were brought out, two people that brought a smile to his face.

* * *

_Naruto knelt down on the soft ground, smiling sadly as stared solemnly at the two small raised plaques on the ground. Each bore the name of somebody who would always be dear to him, Teuchi and Ayame Ichiraku. They were buried near the outskirts of the cemetery, near to the training ground that also bore the Shinobi memorial. It had taken him a while to find them, their names lost among the myriad of others buried in the very same place. The cemetery was quiet, he hadn't passed anybody else on the way here but he had noticed more than a few flowers placed on the graves._

_Along that line his hands lit up in red and blue flames as he clasped them together, when he opened them again he held two identical flowers. They looked like roses but they were completely white, as if somebody had taken a flower and bleached it of all colour; he thought it was appropriate given the circumstances. Gentle he placed them down on the plaques before leaving his hand resting over their names as tears began to well in his eyes._

"_I'm so sorry Ayame, Teuchi; it was my fault." He sighed heavily as his body hunched forward, wiping away the tears before they could fall on the simple bronze plates. "If I... If I had just..." He sighed again, not entirely sure what he wanted to say anyway. Maybe if he had never known them, maybe if he had shied away from their kindness then they might not have died. He shook his head sadly; he just couldn't imagine his life without them, without Ayame's warm smiles and Teuchi's jovial laugh._

"_Dammit I told you we were lost!" He sniffed back any tears that were still clinging to his face and looked up, noticing that he was no longer alone in the cemetery._

"_Would you quiet down, we're in a graveyard!" The blonde frowned for a moment as he wiped his eyes, he could have sworn he recognised that voice._

"_Eh, there's nobody here anyway, now stop trying to change the subject!" Two girls came into view, one with long brown hair hanging down her back like a veil and the other with sandy blonde hair tied back into four distinctive ponytails._

"_I'm not! Baki-sensei said that it was the training ground with the memorial stone, when we asked that weird Jounin with the mask he pointed us this way!" Naruto's frown deepened, recognising the girls or not he thought speaking so loudly in a place of mourning was disrespectful._

"_Well then you must have misinterpreted him." Naruto coughed into his hand, a mildly irritated expression on his face; he went completely unnoticed by the two girls though as they continued to bicker between themselves._

"_He just pointed! How do I misinterpret that?" Naruto coughed a little louder yet his efforts seemed futile as the girls didn't even seem to notice._

"_I don't know but if anybody could find a way it would be you fangirl!" Again Naruto coughed, more forcefully this time and once again the noise seemed to bounce off some invisible, intangible barrier between him and the girls as they didn't notice a thing._

"_What did you call me?" Naruto had finally had enough, he was simply glad that there was nobody else in the cemetery to be disturbed; people in mourning tended not to be the most reasonable or rational people, especially Shinobi. He slammed his shakujou down on the ground and despite the loose soil it made a sharp, clear tone that sounded throughout the area like he had struck metal. Immediately both girls stopped shouting at each other and clutched their ears in pain; the sound only lasted for a split second though and they quickly recovered._

"_Are you two finished?" Despite his young age Naruto had long ago learned how to give his voice a commanding edge. It was something he picked up from Chikaku; the man could be jovial and playful one moment and serious or commanding the next. Both girls turned towards him slowly, already looking at the ground sheepishly, expecting to look up and see a Jounin. However they were not expecting a young blonde boy in monk garb bearing a shakujou... a very familiar looking blonde monk._

"_Naruto-sensei?" "Naruto?!"_

_Naruto raised an eyebrow at the two before realisation of his own set in; it had been a few years but the defining features were still there. After all his memory was perfect and despite growing taller, their hair getting longer and the new outfits they still appeared to be the same two girls he had met all those years ago. Although he certainly could have done without hearing the sensei title again, it brought up painful memories of Shizuku._

"_Matsuri? Temari?" Both girls' eyes lit up before simultaneously both their expressions twisted into a frown as they faced one another._

"_How do you know Naruto-sensei?" "How do you know Naruto?"_

_Naruto just blinked at the odd synchronisation between the two before taking a step back as they both repeated the action, although now they were both glaring at him._

"_How do you know fangirl?" "How do you know Matsuri?"_

_Temari turned to the younger girl, glaring at her for the name before returning her intense gaze to Naruto, the young blonde suddenly feeling uncomfortable with two irritated girls staring him down. It actually took him surprisingly little time to explain it to them, that he had met both of them during his stay in Sunagakure those years ago and had in some way helped both of them with training. By the end the girls just seemed shocked that they both had met Naruto yet neither had known about the other's relationship with him. He had moved them away from the cemetery, towards the training grounds so they wouldn't disturb anybody else._

"_So wait..." Temari looked across at her teammate confusedly. "Naruto is the reason you advanced so quickly in the academy?" Matsuri immediately looked indignant; she often found people questioning her abilities due to her age and she didn't need that from her teammate. However she glanced at Naruto and a hint of red entered her cheeks, making her meekly lower the hand she had raised in protest; technically Temari was right._

"_You should give Matsuri more credit, I only showed her basic techniques; she was the one who learned them." The younger girl blushed at that; she was used to people congratulating her on her nearly prodigious skill but to hear it from the one who trained her was something else. Temari just smirked knowingly at the girl, crossing her arms under her chest._

"_So the little prodigy had help huh?" Matsuri simply crossed her own arms over, looking annoyed again, the blush abated from her cheeks._

"_Can still beat you in a fight fangirl." Temari's smirk turned into a scowl as she reached for the large black battle-fan on her back; for a moment Naruto thought they were going to fight right there._

"_Bring it on then Matsu-chan." At that the younger girl scowled as well, reaching for the Kunai in her pouch, filling her hand with them._

"_Ahem." At this point Naruto was just annoyed; they may have left the cemetery but they were still close and these two were about to fight it out over something as inane as this. Immediately both girls turned back to Naruto, blushing slightly in embarrassment as they realised they weren't alone._

"_Uhh, sorry Naruto-sensei." "Sorry Naruto."_

_Naruto just sighed before smiling softly; these two, like Sora, had been some of his earliest friends, even if it was just teaching them things. He couldn't stay mad at them; in part due to the fact he found it hard to get mad at anybody._

"_So what have you two been up to in the last few years?"_

* * *

He smiled softly but snapped out of his memories as the call to begin fighting rang out through the arena; he didn't want to miss this. When he had left Sunagakure Temari had been a fledgling wind user while Matsuri was just beginning to grasp basic Chakra exercises. However from what he was seeing they had advanced greatly in that time, more than he would have thought. Temari opened by unfolding her fan completely, obviously taking Matsuri seriously from the get-go; on the other hand Matsuri seemed rather unconcerned but still had her muscles tensed to move. From what he had heard from them she was usually the victor in their spars.

Without any delay Temari swung her fan, releasing an enormous bout of wind that Naruto could clearly see with his eyes. The gust contained many smaller blades within it; sharp enough to cause debilitating damage but small enough for it not to be fatal if it struck. It didn't seem to matter though as before the deadly winds could reach her Matsuri tensed before disappearing with a small could of dust at her feet. Naruto raised a brow as he spotted her racing across the arena, ducking and weaving at such speed Temari seemed to struggle to keep up. He could clearly see the Chakra she was using to enhance her movements; on her feet to provide traction, in her muscles to quicken their contractions and in her joints for reinforcement. It was somewhat similar to how Tsunade strengthened her body but on a much simpler scale.

Instead of trying to focus in on her Temari swung her fan in a large arc, covering much of that side of the arena in her dangerous winds. That forced Matsuri up in to the air which was exactly what Temari wanted; she used the opportunity to create a powerful updraft, further launching the smaller girl up and into the sky. However before anything else could be done Matsuri surprised everybody, apparently even Temari given her shocked expression, by suddenly launching something from her hand.

It was small but to the Shinobi it was obviously a jouhyou, a small blunted dart attached to a long length of wire. However what they couldn't see and Naruto could was the thin layer of wind Chaka coating it, allowing it to dig deeply into the ground. Matsuri pulled on her end of the rope, allowing her to reach the floor again and as soon as her feet met the ground she was off again, a blur to the untrained eye. It made Naruto smile to see her use what he had taught her so well and advance it as she had.

The fight didn't last too much longer; Temari was exhausting herself with her wide-spread and frequent Jutsu while Matsuri was able to use the minimum Chakra to simply enhance her movements. Neither were Chakra powerhouses but when it came to a war of attrition Matsuri would be the clear cut winner. Sure enough after ten minutes of this back and forth between the two Temari made a mistake, not putting enough Chakra into one of her wind Jutsu. Matsuri was just about able to power through the weak winds, connecting with a powerful blow to the jaw that had Temari on her back, unable to continue.

The crowd cheered heartily; it hadn't been the most exciting of matches but it was always worthwhile to see the up and coming generation show of what they knew. There was also the mystery of what Matsuri might show in the next round of the fights; after all she had managed to keep many of her skills hidden like a true Ninja. However as loud as they were the crowd's cheers became nearly deafening as the next two opponents walked out onto the arena. Naruto quickly recognised the first as the Uchiha that he had briefly met in Wave while the other was a stocky, dark-skinned Kumo Genin.

Both settled into their respective stances, not a word spoken between them but a cocky smirk on both their faces. However before the match could even begin Naruto frowned; he felt the familiar tug as foreign Chakra tried to invade his system only to be passively absorbed by his Preta path. He wasn't sure what everybody else was seeing but soon much of the non-Shinobi crowd had fallen in to a deep slumber. One by one members of the crowd not affected by the powerful Genjutsu stood up, confused by what was going on.

Then chaos erupted from the ground.

* * *

**A/N: Wow, sorry guys; I never meant to let that update take so long. I got really absorbed in GTA V (awesome game but they really need to fix the online issues). Trevor ftw, that's guys f**king crazy. **


	50. Inferno III

**Digi definitely does not own Naruto; definitely, positively, most certainly not! He can't, it's just not possible... but maybe...?**

* * *

**Sage**

_"Action may not always bring happiness; but there is no happiness without action." – Benjamin Disraeli_

* * *

There was barely a second of warning before the floor of the arena suddenly exploded outward in a dangerous hail of rocks and stone. The Jounin and Chuunin of the Arena as well as some of the Genin, lucid thanks to the efforts of their comrades, managed to react in time to save the civilians from being injured. Hundreds of barriers of all kinds lit the scene up in an array of colours from water encampment Jutsu to rock domes and even one or two wind walls that shredded any incoming rocks into a fine, harmless powder.

However any more reprieve for the Leaf Shinobi was asking too much as only moments later a veritable army of enemy ninja rushed out of the newly formed tunnel emerging from the ground. Based on the explosions and sounds of fighting emanating from elsewhere this was not the only place these tunnels had opened. There was only one village with enough highly-trained earth Jutsu practitioners to effectively use this entrance strategy and sure enough the rock-on-rock insignia of Iwagakure gleamed proudly on each and every headband.

"Naruto?" Fuu blinked when she noticed that she was fully visible again, as were Haku and Naruto; not that any Shinobi would pay attention to them with all the fighting that had erupted. The blonde was just standing there, his Sugegasa gone and his long blonde hair swaying slightly in the breeze from atop the arena wall. His ringed eyes slowly roamed across the village, taking in the Shinobi leaping about; some protecting civilians, others fighting; some were mere blurs broken only by the occasional clash of steel on steel as kunai met in a beautiful and dangerous flurry of metal.

"Go." Fuu stood up, confused at Naruto's whisper of a command; she noticed that his eyes weren't squinted and she could clearly see his steely eyes, hardened into an expression she had never seen on him before. "Go please, stop the fighting where you can; I'm going to need a moment for this." Fuu hesitated for a moment, taking a look around at the fighting herself for a moment; she had no feelings for these people, she didn't care for them personally, there was no reason for her to intervene. However one look at the determined expression on her friend's face erased all her doubts and she simply gave a firm nod before dashing off.

"Naruto-san?" Haku remained by the blonde's side, looking at him uncertainly; he didn't have the privilege of knowing him as long as Fuu had but the sheer stony will emanating from him was nearly palpable. His hands were slightly tightened around his Shakujou, turning the knuckles slightly white and yet when the blonde turned to face Haku his eyes changed, becoming compassionate.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to Haku; I know you don't like fighting." Haku wasn't sure what to say to that and his face betrayed this, flickering through more than a few emotions before settling on confusion. He had never been given a choice before, not like this; with Zabuza it was simply following whatever order his master gave unconditionally. He knew now that Naruto wanted him to fight, to help him see to it that these fights were stopped; but he didn't have to.

"Alright." Haku's face shifted into one he had adopted many times before, a blank and completely emotionless slate, as he gave a curt nod, much the same as Fuu's, and leapt from the arena wall. He would help Naruto; not because he was told to, not because those were his orders, but because he wanted to help out his first friend. There was also a small part of him that wanted to see an end to the needless violence just as much as the monk did.

Naruto took in a deep breath as he stood there, just breathing in and out, in and out, focusing his Chakra, feeling it flow through his coils, through the pathways that littered his body. He locked it in, not letting even a drop of it escape through his Tenketsu as he allowed it to grow inside him, welling up, filling him until he felt the ends of his fingers begin to burn slightly. Then, all at once, he released it, snapping his eyes open to reveal two steel orbs.

All around the village ninja that were running or fighting paused for a moment as a small tremor travelled through the ground. Many thought nothing of it, putting it off as a particularly strong earth Jutsu or maybe a powerful exploding tag. However a few moments later their eyes were drawn to the ground as they saw it begin to shift and move beneath them. First little grains of sand began to rise up, making a few Shinobi just watch in surprise, then more and more earth began to slowly shift along the ground.

At this point a majority of the Shinobi had paused what they were doing, watching in stark amazement as the now loosened earth continued to congregate into one point. Slowly but surely it began to rise up beneath Naruto's feet, lifting him higher and higher into the air on an enormous pillar of sand. All of the Suna Shinobi there, including the Kazekage himself, looked up in horror as they recognised what was going on, but even they had never seen it on this scale before. Temari stood transfixed, trying to peer up and see the small speck of a figure atop the growing pillar of earth.

"Gaara...?" Her weak voice barely registered to the frozen Shinobi around her; however if sight before them had them pausing that was nothing compared to what came next. An enormous pressure suddenly descended on the village as the weight of Naruto's Chakra was unleashed, weighing down on the Shinobi like an actual physical presence. Many found their breaths catching as even from this distance they could see it.

"**Stop this!" **The powerful voice, amplified by Chakra, sounded throughout the entire village, sparing nobody's ears. He was just a silhouette with the sky behind him, his travel cloak billowing in the wind and his shakujou in one hand. The sharper-eyed among the Shinobi could even spot the horns of his headband and his pony-tail. However all of them could see the faintly glowing ringed eyes that somehow seemed to be staring at the entire village all at once.

"**Do you not see what you are doing?" **Only silence met his rhetorical question, the silence of an entire village staring as one towards the mysterious figure atop the pillar of sand. **"This fighting, killing, don't you see how pointless it all is!?" **Despite the strength and power behind his voice the hint of desperation and pleading was still there. He didn't want to just tell his message, he wanted, genuinely wanted them to understand him.

"**You fight and kill here today, tearing families apart, killing brothers, fathers, daughters and wives, ripping friend from friend but for what?" **The silence was deafening, there wasn't even the sound of kunai clashing anymore as everybody listened to the impassioned speech. **"What then? Their families, friends, loved ones will declare revenge on you, killing you to avenge those they lost. Then your loved ones will do the exact same thing in one pointless, self-destructing cycle of hatred." **Naruto took in a deep breath as he drank in the oppressive silence, knowing full well the eyes of the village were on him right now.

"**If you just drop your weapons and walk away you can put an end to it; there doesn't need to be mourning when this is all over. Those of you who do this out of revenge know how it feels to lose somebody precious; does inflicting that feeling on somebody else, somebody innocent of all this bloodshed somehow lessen your own loss?" **The emotion behind Naruto's words were evident; he had seen it all before in Mizu no Kuni, felt it himself when he was staring into the eyes of the Mizukage. He had not felt relieved at the man's death, his sadness over Shizuku's death had not been relieved, he only felt hollow, hollow and sickened a what he had done out of rage.

"**Please, it is up to you all to put a stop to this meaningless cycle of loss and suffering." **His words rang out amongst the assembled Shinobi, striking a chord with those who had indeed understood the bitter pain of loss in their lifetimes. Silence reigned for a few seconds as everybody simply absorbed the monk's words, nobody moving. However the worst happened when one Shinobi, it didn't really matter what village he was from, chose to use the sudden halt to launch a surprise attack at his enemies.

It was like a dam had burst; before Naruto's very eyes he saw the entire village once again descend into fighting. Glinting metal flew through the air followed closely by boulders and fireballs alike, the Jutsu being fired indiscriminately. Naruto could only stare wide eyed as the village of his birth fell into anarchy, his words forgotten like a fleeting memory. It was as if right now the fight was no longer about winning or losing, just fighting for the sake of fighting.

_'Do they love combat so much they don't even want to consider an alternative?_' The young monk asked himself, not sure what to feel from what he saw. Slowly his head lowered, his blonde tresses shadowing his eyes as his hands tightened into fists that actually managed to draw blood; the precious red liquid falling lazily onto the sand below him.

"**STOP!" **The Shinobi, Konoha and Iwa alike, couldn't have been less prepared; if anybody stood a chance it would have been the Suna-nin but even they could not escape. The ground literally dissolved around their feet, springing up like it was a living creature and swiftly wrapping up every single mobile person in the village in a tightening cocoon of sand. The Shinobi struggled but it was useless, Naruto's sand had caught them in a vice-like grip. Brute strength would do nothing for them as the sand could contract as much as it needed to and even as they struggled their Chakra was slowly being siphoned off, sustaining the sand itself.

Naruto didn't even have to consciously guide it; the grains moved of their own will, simply seeking out anything with even a moderate amount of Chakra and latching on as a cohesive unit. Naruto would have to thank Shukaku extra hard later on but for now he focused on making sure that every single Shinobi was captured; no favouritism would be shown to Konoha. However before his sand could reach the Kage booth, not that Naruto had any misconceptions he could restrain any of them, the entire stand they were in burst into a noxious black smoke.

When it cleared, a massive cube of a barrier had appeared around that entire rooftop, all four Kage trapped inside, although the image was distorted. Unfortunately for Naruto he didn't have time to focus on that; this entire time he had been reaching out through the moisture in the air that had lessened significantly with the sudden presence of the sand. He detected a monstrous spike in Chakra from the far side of the village, a foul, oppressive Chakra he recognised all too well. It seemed Roshi was not Iwagakure's only Jinchuuriki and based on what Naruto knew it had to be either the Gobi or Rokubi.

Naruto wasn't entirely sure if he could fight a Jinchuuriki, especially one with a Bijuu that powerful, while maintaining the connection with his sand. However the damage a Jinchuuriki could do to the village, even one that only had moderate control over their tenant, was catastrophic. Luckily for him though he sensed another presence rapidly sprinting towards the Jinchuuriki and had to contain a small smile as he felt Fuu near the foreign Jinchuuriki. He trusted in his friend, she was very strong and unless Kumo was a part of all this and that turned out to be Kirabi, which Naruto found unlikely; she would have the stronger Bijuu.

With that in mind Naruto headed off toward the flaming purple cube that marked where the five Kage had been imprisoned. He may not have been taking sides in this conflict but he would be damned if he let anything happen to the one remaining link to the good memories of his childhood he had left.

* * *

Fuu touched down on the ground without so much as a whisper, her soft sandals padding her drop. Even so the lumbering brute of a man she had closed in on managed to sense her, turning his visored head to observe her coldly. He was a massive man, possibly twice the height Fuu was, with a dark, plated, red armour covering his body, occasionally venting a blast of scalding steam. Over that he wore a light grey kimono top; the look was finished by the wide-brimmed sugegasa hat the same colour and material as his amour that just about hid the Iwagakure headband he wore and cast his eyes into an eerie shadow.

"Who are you? You do not bear the mark of Konoha or Iwa." Fuu felt uncomfortable standing in the man's presence; beneath his stoic façade burned a deep hatred that was almost visible as a thin veil of noxious red Chakra. It leaked off of him and into the air like the steam from his suit; it reminded Fuu of the times she was forced to control her own Bijuu, the intense anger she had to control and fight back with an air of apathy was immense. She did the same now, setting her features into an emotionless mask as she stood up, her eyes beginning to pick apart what she could of the man which was, admittedly, very little.

"I am neither." The giant of a man simply huffed loudly, continuing his march further into the village, completely uncaring of the Shinobi cocooned in sand all around them. They worried Fuu because if it came to a fight then she would have to watch out for them, fights between Jinchuuriki were always messy. She could only hope the man would show the same control because there were Iwagakure ninja in the sand as well.

"I can't let you hurt anybody, I promised Naruto." The man stopped, his metal boots clanking on the floor as he laboriously turned to her, his cold grey eyes simply piercing into her.

"If you stand in my way little girl I will not hesitate to crush you." Fuu's only response was to drop back into her Taijutsu stance, beginning her own process of dredging up her Bijuu's Chakra; her eyes almost widened in surprise when she felt how easy it seemed all of a sudden. She had face many types of opponent in her life, her cruel captors in Takigakure, the unconcerned grace of Naruto, the bubbly yet hard to hit Shizuku, the variety of bloodline users in Mizu no Kuni; however none of them seemed as intimidating as the brute before her.

He was like an indomitable steel wall; he just had to be there and his mere presence seemed daunting. It wasn't just the armour; she had defeated plenty of opponents that thought they could protect themselves from a Shinobi with a few layers of metal. He simply had an air about him, as if she could see the blood of all the enemies he had defeated in the red of his armour. Like Naruto he radiated a certain shroud of pure authority; something told the mint-haired Jinchuuriki that this man had been killing people before her existence had even been a thought.

"Interesting." Even the deep baritone of his voice commanded attention; it perfectly matched the man it belonged to. "Most men would simply run, yet you stay; no allegiance to tie you here, no flag to rally under." He fully turned his body to her, one arm casually tucked inside his kimono top as if he was completely unconcerned by Fuu's presence. "Why do you stand here child, like an ant staring against a mountain, hopelessly daunted and yet unwavering?"

Fuu grit her teeth in annoyance; she had been abused and controlled all her life as the people around her turned her into a perfect weapon. At one time in her life it had been her only reason for living; Naruto had changed all that but she wouldn't allow anybody to invalidate her being like that.

"I am not intimidated by you, we are the same, equals." There was a pause as the hulking man observed her curiously; she could see it in his grey eyes, he was weighing up whether she was even worth the effort. Finally, after a heart-wrenching silence the man let out a bark of a laugh, a single sharp noise that cut through the still air and made Fuu's eyes narrow.

"You are a Jinchuuriki, I know this, but a powerful child is still just a child." Fuu almost growled but she managed to keep up her emotionless veneer; she wondered if he would be so confident saying that if it were Naruto standing before him and not her. She shook that from her mind though, it was no time to be doubting herself; she was strong, strong enough to make the trust Naruto placed in her worth something. "Do not be so ignorant as to consider us equals child that is neither Konoha nor Iwa." Fuu took a calming breath as she tightened her stance, finding her focus before slowly allowing her orange eyes to drift up, locking with the man's steely grey ones.

"My name is Fuu." The man tilted his head ever so slightly to one side before rolling it back, cracking his neck once; he didn't even bother moving into any kind of stance. He just stood there, like an unmoving, unmovable wall of red steel, completely unconcerned.

"My name was Han once, but people like us, we are undeserving of such human names." Fuu just frowned; that seemed like something she would say when she was back in Takigakure.

"I'm sorry if you feel that way." The man seemed momentarily confused by the sincerity in Fuu's voice, although it was more of a sigh than anything else. However he didn't have much time to think about as Fuu took the opportunity to race forward, kicking up dust from the street with the speed she moved at. She wasn't like Naruto, able to talk people down from fighting; besides she could see this man harboured a deep hatred. What that hate was for was unclear but what was clear was that Han wasn't here to talk.

She thought she was fast; she had always been told she was fast and until she met Naruto her speed had been practically unmatched. Since then she had learned many times there were many people out there who could match and surpass her own speed. However she had learned to take that as a challenge, improving herself over and over again so she could close that gap. However now her speed, as remarkable as it was, seemed to count for nothing as Han almost leisurely lifted his armoured hand up to block her jab. Apparently even when he seemed less focused he was no less alert.

She remained unperturbed, bouncing back on her feet before skirting around the larger man who offered up no kind of resistance or counter-attack. She used the extra traction offered by the dusty ground to slip around the larger man only to silently balk as she saw he was even more heavily armoured around his back. What's more the man seemed to have something built into his armour, some kind of heavy duty furnace that occasionally belched a thin, misty vapour that didn't look too inviting.

Before she could look any more though her eyes widened imperceptibly as she ducked back, briefly forgetting that she had moved around to attempt some kind of attack. It was just in time as a meaty and heavily armoured fist swung just over her head; Han not having even looked around. However that changed as the bulky man slowly turned to observe her, his eyes quirking up in moderate interest, or perhaps amusement.

Fuu didn't care either way, rushing forward again she this time feinted down, pre-emptively moving out the way of another high-speed, lethal swing. Han didn't even seem to be trying; it was almost like he was simply acting just to see how Fuu reacted. He didn't seem disappointed as she suddenly shot off the ground, aiming a deadly jab right for the man's unprotected eyes. Her fist didn't make it very far before she found her forearm trapped between the heavy-set man's armoured hands. Before he could move any more, no doubt snapping her much thinner arms like twigs, she shifted her weight and pushed off the man's chest.

He didn't seem too concerned, merely allowing his arms to cross over his thick chest again, staring at the younger Jinchuuriki evenly. It quickly became apparent that Fuu's normal speed would not be anywhere near enough to breach even the first layer of this man's defences. It wasn't that he was faster; in fact with the heavy armour he wore Fuu had the advantage in that department. It was just the fact that he had experience; he was able to predict her moves with ease and had the reflexes to match her.

"Do you not see how fruitless this is now?" Fuu merely narrowed her eyes at the almost lazy drawl in the man's voice. However the fact remained he had a point, at her current level she did not have the power to defeat him. Then again, she had a way to increase her own level; the real question was whether he could do the same. Figuring that floundering around trying to defeat this man in vain would do nothing for her so she dug deep inside herself, finding that hidden well of power while a single eyebrow in the giant man's face rose.

"I assure you that will do you no good." Fuu ignored him as a thick, noxious veil of red chakra slowly enveloped her form, at first like a bubbling layer of acid that danced about on her skin before it sharpened, forming into a crisp red coating about her skin. The details were all there, a translucent helmet formed out of the coat, six ominous slits that glowed a slightly deeper red. Finally a single long spindly tail grew languidly from the toxic cloak, completing the visage of the Nanabi no Kabutomushi.

She remained silent though, even as an intense rage bubbled up from deep within her, a rage that wasn't completely her own yet rode on her own feelings. It was all there, her mistreatment in Takigakure, the loathing of her fellow villagers, the resentment and the anger. She quashed it all, repressing it down and controlling it until it was a barely noticeable red flicker in the back of her mind. It was something she had done hundreds of times before; ignoring the anger and hiding it behind a mask of complete indifference; killing her emotions as much as possible.

This all happened in less than a second yet the world moved in startling clarity for her, like everything was going slower. She knew she didn't have very long in the form; she could hold up a single-tailed state for a maximum of thirty minutes, each subsequent tail cutting that figure in half. Already she could feel the familiar tingle on her skin, a light burning sensation that she was just about able to ignore. She moved before the cloak was even fully settled, this time not just kicking up dust but the ground itself as the sheer pressure of her Chakra-enhanced footstep pushed the earth away.

Despite his words before Han did indeed seem to struggle against the newly empowered Fuu, he started shifting his stance, resembling more of a Taijutsu style. However despite the power up and the strength and speed offered by her Bijuu's double-edged Chakra she didn't seem to make any progress in getting past the armoured man's defences. For every glancing blow she managed to get through his guard that merely skirted off the thick armour he returned the favour. The damage he did was negligible, the heavy blows barely fazing the thick Chakra cloak.

However it couldn't last; just when she thought she had begun to work out his pattern, going in for a blow that would have struck him right in the middle of the chest after getting him off balance. However she didn't count on the fact that Han was doing exactly the same thing to her; in a surprising bout of speed the man ducked beneath her blow. The writhing Chakra surrounding her arm tried to react, breaking away from her to claw at the man's head. However the red giant predicted this as well, rolling beneath the translucent appendage before coming up with a powerful blow straight to her midsection.

The pain was indescribable; even through her Bijuu's normally protective layer of Chakra she felt every inch of that blow. Even in the brief second she could watch in startled amazement it didn't make any sense. He had done nothing differently; the blow was the same, just striking her more directly. Then she saw it; a massive burst of steam exiting the man's elbow, projecting the fist forward at unimaginable speeds. As she felt her feet lift off the ground her mind managed to connect the furnace on the man's back to the steam she could see emanating off of him; then, she was flying.

It was a short flight as the spindly tail retracted back into her cloak, instead replaced by two thin, insectoid wings as her Chakra shroud became slightly less crisp. They immediately began to beat, becoming little more than a vaguely red blur as she hovered there in the air. Han seemed just a little surprised by this before his face hardened, his grey eyes narrowing in the shadows of his Sugegasa. However they immediately widened again as Fuu charged forward, much faster now that she was in the air; her element. He predirted her movement though, lashing out with a fist that should have caught the girl right in the throat.

What he didn't expect was for his forearm to harmlessly pass through a faint red blur, steam rushing from his elbow to show the pressure behind the blow. He had compensated for the extra protection given by the two-tailed Chakra cloak but he had not accounted for just how fast the girl could move in the air. He swivelled to try and catch her but she was like a dragonfly, flitting about and only just staying in the corner of his eye. Then he felt it, a light tap, he barely even felt it through the armour he wore but it was there. Then again, another light tap; he might not have even registered it if his senses weren't alert due to the adrenaline pumping through his system.

They continued this way for another minute, Fuu darting inside Han's guard long enough to probe his defences but not long enough to deal any significant damage. Luckily for her Han actually seemed to be trying now, whirling around and trying to anticipate where the girl would come next. He would struggle though; Fuu barely had control over her wings in flight, it was mostly the will of the Nanabi that guided them, the instinct to fight enemies controlling her movements.

It seemed Han had finally deigned to take her seriously though as the furnace on his back suddenly began spewing copious amounts of his steam, bathing the area in a pure white mist. It quickly became apparent though that it was no ordinary steam as Fuu found her cloak receding around her, withdrawing back into her body like a snail reacting to salt. On instinct she immediately flew backwards, hovering what she assumed to be a safe distance outside the steam. She was proven wrong though when a red giant suddenly flew out of the shroud, moving far faster than somebody of that size had any right to.

She dodged backwards, the man flying right over her; just before he vanished back into the white shroud below though she managed to spot the faint hint of red surrounding his body. It was fuzzy and obviously uncontrolled but it seemed it was enough to give the man a drastic boost in speed and power. This was quickly evidenced when the man hit the ground; the surrounding buildings shook from the force of the impact as a great plume of sand was displaced into the air. Then everything went still, only the swirling of the steam below her and no indication of where Han had gone.

She couldn't go back into the steam or risk losing her Bijuu cloak, possibly the only thing that would keep her from being boiled alive. She also couldn't stay out here; Han must have known that her ability to keep the shroud was limited by time and right now she probably only had around ten minutes left. Then, as if her prayers were being answered by some higher power, she felt the temperature around her drop drastically. Almost immediately the steam in the air cooled, thinning out and dropping away to for a thin layer of moisture on the sandy ground.

Fuu looked around and spotted Haku standing on an opposite building, his hands in a seal that was definitely not one of the standard twelve and a look of intense concentration on his face. Finally, once the shroud of steam had dwindled to just a thin white layer hovering just above the ground, he stopped, taking his hands out of the sign and leaning on his knees. The thin white tendrils of the no longer lethal mist separated to reveal the stoic figure of Han, still lightly shrouded in a hazy red cloak, his initial Jinchuuriki stage.

A moment later Haku appeared in a body flicker near to Fuu, giving the mint-haired Jinchuuriki a nod which she returned. The two of them turned to face Han again, muscles tensed to move as a thicker, viler Chakra began to flow over his body.

* * *

Naruto appeared on the roof above the arena, the sand he had ridden there dropping away under his feet as he stared at the enormous purple barrier before him. It moved and flickered like flame but was hazy enough to block most of what it contained; however he couldn't see anything thanks to what appeared to be trees behind the barrier, enclosing the area inside in a thick forest. He approached the barrier, holding his hand up to the heatless flames and just watching curiously as the strange surface rose up a little as if trying to lick at his palm.

"Heh, good luck getting through here you moron, this is a heavy-duty barrier; try asking that ANBU over there." The blonde looked around at the dark-skinned boy in the inside corner of the barrier, holding up his hands in a seal that seemed to be sustaining the powerful purple cube. He then looked around at what appeared to be a pile of blackened ashes on the roof beside them, obviously the remains of the ANBU that had tried to protect his Hokage in vain. Naruto ignored this as best he could, instead holding up his hand at the barrier.

It flickered brightly when he brought it nearer before dying away, unable to sustain itself without the necessary Chakra. The boy in the corner widened his eyes as the barrier just flickered before dying away where Naruto stood. However before the blonde could walk through the make-shift hole he had created something blocked the way. With the hole grew a large grey coffin from the ground, almost in reaction to the barrier being foiled. The lid cracked open before clattering to the ground, only revealing darkness inside.

"Naruto?" The blonde could only stare, a tear finding its way to his eye as he was met by a veil of purple hair.

"...Shizuku."


	51. Inferno IV

**Digi does not own Naruto... Shizuku on the other hand... no, no he still doesn't own her, she belongs to you the reader (hah, kidding!)**

* * *

**Sage**

_"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one." – Albert Einstein_

* * *

"...Shizuku." Naruto took an involuntary step back, his shakujou falling from his loosened grip as he stared at the very girl he had cried over, dying in his blood-stained arms. It was her, really her; the familiar dark blue Chakra coursing through her body didn't lie to him, this was really Shizuku. Except it wasn't, he didn't need an all-powerful Doujutsu to see that; lines and cracks cross-crossed her pale skin and clothing, looking like she had been pieced together from the remains of some impossibly intricate porcelain doll. Her eyes too, instead of the normal bright vibrant eyes he remembered the girl possessing, her sclera were now a dark, sickly grey.

"Naruto..." The impossible girl smiled sadly at him, one of her arms lifting slightly towards him slightly before she seemed to think better of it, returning the limb to her side. She was exactly as he remembered seeing her last, even wearing the same clothing, camouflaged to match the dismal atmosphere of Mizu no Kuni. It was if somebody had taken a snapshot of her last moments and reconstituted it before his very eyes.

"... Is it really you?" A faint smile traced her thin lips as Naruto found his face struggling to hide the flurry of emotions cascading through his being. "Your hair is longer and you got taller..." The blonde nearly cracked at that, even her voice was the same, containing that same quiet lilt that he had so enjoyed listening to when the spoke. "...but your eyes; it really is you." Naruto took another step backwards, making a small frown crease Shizuku's cracked features.

"Shizuku, how are you here? I don't understand..." He was really struggling at this point to keep the tumultuous emotion he felt out of his voice but he could help the small crack in his voice. "...I saw you die." Shizuku's timid smile turned downwards as she instinctually put a hand up to her throat, sending a surge of memories through Naruto's mind filled with shades of scarlet and crimson sullying that same pale skin.

"I-I remember that." She seemed confused by it herself, suddenly looking up and around at her surroundings, her eyes widening in surprise at the sprawling village around her, filled with sand and various Shinobi cocooned within it. "What is going on Naruto? Where are we?" However before Naruto could say anything, if he could have said anything at all in his shocked condition, a low and menacing chuckling sounded out across the stretch of rooftop. Naruto's eyes widened as something seemed to grow out of the very tiles behind Shizuku, although the violette seemed unable to turn and look, seemingly frozen in place by that voice.

"Oh come now, answering everything would ruin the fun wouldn't it?" Before the blonde's very eyes a tall, pale man with long dark hair emerged from the roof, his body slumped forward limply. He wore an outfit consisting of grey trousers and a dark brown shirt with an earthen tunic thrown over, held in place by a thick purple rope tied up into a bow-like knot at the back. He brought his head up, capturing the blonde with his piercing gaze with two golden eyes, slitted like a snake's. Two distinctive purple markings traced the edges of his nose and the corners of his eyes, furthering the resemblance to the reptiles he emulated.

"Although I suppose having you flounder around in the dark would only serve to amuse me for a short time." The man seemed genuinely thoughtful at that, looking up and to the side as he brushed a single finger against his chin contemplatively. Finally a long, sadistic grin slowly spread across his pale features as he laid a thin white hand against Shizuku's shoulders; the girl was seemingly frozen in place, her discoloured eyes opening wider at the touch. "Yes, having you know would be so much more... satisfying." His gaze once again fell on the blonde, golden eyes meeting rippled violet as he levelled a playful but still dangerous look at the younger monk.

"What are you talking about?" Having this man appear had alleviated some of the shock at seeing Shizuku and Naruto had managed to gather himself. However something was nagging at the back of his mind, something he felt he was supposed to remember but wouldn't quite come to him; considering his near photographic memory it was rather irritating.

"Hmm, I suppose the question is just how much to say hmm?" The man didn't seem to even be paying attention to Naruto, stuck in his own world as he contemplated whatever it was he was thinking. "Well how about this?" He slid the pale hand he had rested on Shizuku's shoulder up her neck, trailing it through her long purple hair before resting atop her head, cupping his other hand under her chin.

"Do you like her? I brought her back especially for you Naruto-kun; it took me ever so long to find the samples I had left of her DNA." His smirk became even more sickening as his long tongue slid from his mouth, licking across his lips in a way that made Shizuku cringe in his grip, somehow unable to move when this man held her. "You're just lucky that I never throw out possibly useful samples, even for... _failed _experiments." Naruto found his hands tightening into fists without him even realising it as the man referred to Shizuku that way. "Otherwise I might have had to disturb that lovely monument you made for her, very touching by the way." His voice had all the sincerity of a snake, ruined even more by that ever present smirk that split his face.

"How did you find that?!" Naruto was beginning to lose his control over his emotions; seeing this man hold Shizuku like this, talk about her like this, it was too much for him. The man seemed pleased by the emotional outburst, his sickening smirk growing wider as his eyes flashed with something unrecognisable.

"Oh but you leave quite the trail Naruto-kun and I have agents everywhere, waiting to diligently report every scrap of useful information to me like the good little pets they are." Again Naruto clenched his hands tighter; beginning to turn his knuckles white as this man casually dismissed the importance of all those human lives. "Did you really think nobody would notice you? Did you think that the hero of Kirigakure would remain a secret forever? Nothing can hide from me Naruto-kun, especially not somebody with eyes as remarkable as yours." Naruto could practically feel the man staring intently at his eyes, a predatory glint entering his own.

"But right now that's beside the point." He began running his fingers through Shizuku's hair again, making the violette grimace from the feeling and Naruto clench his fist even harder in anger and frustration. "I asked if you liked her, if you appreciated all the effort I went to in order to bring her back. Am I not benevolent?" His sickening smirk told otherwise as he casually gazed at the young blond before him, unconsciously drawn to the ringed eyes set into the boy's skull.

"What do you mean bring her back? What is this?" The man just chuckled again darkly, his voice managing to reverberate around the area despite the fact they were outside.

"This, my young Naruto-kun, is the result of the Edo Tensei no Jutsu, a remnant of out dear Nidaime Hokage that I completed. It pulls the very soul out of the pure world, locking it inside a corporeal form again and puts them under my control." Naruto fought to reign in his anger at that, the very idea of what this man was spouting was sickening to the boy. However his eyes widened slightly as he felt a pang of hypocrisy run through him; was that not the very same thing he did to Haku? "However there is the small matter of it requiring living human sacrifices to use as vessels, but for immortal soldiers with infinite Chakra I think it is merely a small price to pay." At that Naruto almost breathed a sigh of relief, no, he was nothing like this man, able to so callously throw away human lives.

"So that is your intention, you brought back Shizuku to fight me?" Naruto frowned at his own words; the thought of seriously fighting Shizuku almost made him feel ill. To see her die once had been a crippling blow to him, to actually repeat that but at his own hands was just unthinkable. Even so, when it came down to it he was more powerful than Shizuku, even before she had died; he had only grown in strength since then. However Orochimaru just grinned excitedly, he did so enjoy these conversations, when he could truly crush the hope inside of somebody.

"Oh no, of course not. Sensei and the Kazekage are fighting the reanimations of the Shodaime and Nidaime Hokage as we speak, however they are merely mindless drones, fit only to be tools to accomplish what I want." The man slid a kunai out of the pouch on his leg slowly, a paper talisman hanging from the end of the hilt as Naruto's eyes widened in realisation. "However for you that just wouldn't do, having you fight a mindless puppet would serve no use." Another sinister smirk cut across the man's expression as he idly spun the kunai by the ring on the hilt. "Not to mention it wouldn't be nearly as entertaining." Before Naruto could even move he suddenly plunged the kunai, the whole thing, straight into the back of Shizuku's head.

"Orochimaru!" The Sannin's eyes widened in a small amount of surprise as the boy cried out his name just as he pulled his hand back out of Shizuku's head.

"Ah, you finally figured it out; I suppose the rumours I've been getting about you travelling with my dear teammate are true then. Tell me, how is Tsunade-hime doing these days? Still deathly afraid of any kind of responsibility I suppose?" However no answer came from the blonde; he was transfixed, watching in morbid fascination as the many cracks and lines across Shizuku's body began to close. The colour returned to her skin slightly and small bright spark entered her eyes once more, something he remembered so vividly from their time together.

"Ah well, I suppose I can get my answers another time eh Naruto-kun?" The sickly-sweet voice finally snapped Naruto out of his daze as his eyes widened in anger, his fists trembling by his side.

"You bastard!" In flash a long, but more importantly sharp, black rod had slid out of Naruto's baggy sleeve, instinctively being caught in his hand at the exact same moment his other was raised, pointed at Orochimaru with the palm wide open. "Banshou Ten'in!" Orochimaru's eyes opened wider slightly as he suddenly found his feet lifting off the ground and his body flying through the air. There was a sickening squelch as the Sannin's body roughly impacted with Naruto's, his head over the smaller blonde's shoulder.

"My, aren't you just full of surprises." Naruto's eyes opened wider as the Sannin's voice rang clearly from right by his ear, he could feel the Chakra rod embedded in the man's heart, that was why he could tell thus was not the real Orochimaru. Sure enough a moment later the colour on the man's body began to change into a uniform brown as the earth-natured shadow clone began to disperse. However before he was gone entirely the dissolving clone managed to turn, capturing the blonde's gaze with his now dulled, brown eyes.

"Enjoy this now Naruto-kun; you will seek me out eventually, one way or another." Then he was gone, devolving into nothing more than a brown puddle on the tiles of the roof, seconds later he wasn't even that, blowing away as nothing more than dust on the wind. The blonde just stared at the spot for a moment, shocked at what had just happened; he didn't get long through as his senses warned him of danger.

"Suiton: Bakusui Shouha!" Naruto managed to dive for his dropped Shakujou just in time to launch himself off the ground and up into the air, his eyes widening a an enormous wave of water washed underneath him, the force of which was enough to completely crush the buildings behind the stadium and leaving a thin layer of moisture on the ground. He wasn't given any respite when he landed back onto the ground, instinctively bringing his hands up in front of himself.

"Suiton: Teppoudama!" "Shinra Tensei!"

The tremendous wall of force he created was just in time to catch the powerful bullet of water, twice the size of Naruto himself. He could literally see the force of the gravity shockwave ripple across the sphere's surface before it harmlessly fell to the ground, its momentum lost. When it did Naruto was able to see Shizuku standing behind it, her hands still locked in the snake seal and an incredulous look on her face.

"Shizuku?" The violette seemingly snapped out of her shock, looking up at Naruto with wide eyes before her hands began moving rapidly again, finally stopping on the Bird seal.

"Naruto watch out! Suiton Daibakufu no Jutsu!" All around Shizuku water began rising into the air, from the liquid on the ground to the very moisture in the air it began to coalesce above her at an astonishing rate. Then, all at once, an enormous vortex of water shot up into the sky before turning sharply right above Naruto, a veritable waterfall of roaring water. This time Naruto stood his ground more calmly, raising his hand up slowly as an invisible wall of force ripple from his body. The Jutsu stood no chance, harmlessly dissipating against the indomitable force of Naruto's technique, not even leaving so much as a light spray to fall on him. All the while his eyes never left Shizuku's panicking form.

"I can't control my body Naruto! It's moving on its own!" Even as she spoke her hands were racing through seals that she didn't want to perform. It was like she was only there in consciousness, a mere passenger in her own body, watching helplessly as she attacked the person she cared about more than anything in the world. It didn't matter to her that none of her attacks were getting through; she had the same revulsion to hurting Naruto as he had to her. "Suiton: Dai Taihoudan!" Her hands briefly paused on the tiger seal before she brought them both out in front of her, palms out.

Her eyes widened in shock when Naruto did nothing to move out the way of her attack, even as thick streams of water began to grow from the moisture in the air, violently circling her small body. She was still getting used to just how powerful her attacks seemed to be all of a sudden; back when she was still learning in Mizu no Kuni even this much would have tired her out by now, not to mention she had never managed attacks of this magnitude. Now all of a sudden it felt as though her Chakra supplies were infinite and each Jutsu put hardly any stress on her body.

At the last second, as the streams rotating around her body all came together in one enormous river that used her hands as a focal point to condense and concentrate, Naruto raised a single hand. The expected wave of force never came though, instead sand from the ground and the surrounding rooftops suddenly leapt forward as if each grain was suspended from some invisible wire at Naruto's beck and call. Faster than Shizuku's Jutsu could reach him it formed a tightly packed, half dome-shaped wall in front of him.

Almost instantly the compacted sand began to turn to a much darker sludge against the onslaught of the powerful water technique. However that only made it heavier and more difficult to control; with Shukaku's cooperation Naruto was quite easily able to hold his shield together. More surprising though was when the entire structure began to move forward, changing shape to better resemble a plough. Instead of simply absorbing the water now it redirected it, up and out of any harm's way, sliding off the sand like it was metal. Finally Shizuku's Jutsu ended, unable to be sustained any longer as her Chakra capacity completely ran out; her reserves might have been endless but there was still a limit to how much she could use at once.

The sand immediately rushed forward, pulling up fresher, still dry sand from the surrounding area as it lurched out, wrapping around Shizuku in a loose dome. Naruto caught one last look at Shizuku's face, at her silent expression of relief, before the dome collapsed, spinning around and cocooning the girl within almost a foot of the Chakra-reinforced earth. Naruto stood there for a moment breathing heavily, not out of exhaustion or even exertion, simply because of the shock of what he just did. It didn't last very long though, seconds later a small patch of the sand cocooning his lost friend turned darker and moments after that a small stream of water trickled out, pooling in one spot.

A head of purple hair formed first as her body slowly began to rise up, re-forming itself from the surrounding moisture. In only seconds Shizuku stood there again, unharmed and fully re-constituted, that same saddened expression marring her cute face. Naruto almost cursed himself for forgetting Shizuku's Hydrification technique; however he had never seen her use it to this extent before. It seemed that whatever this Edo Tensei Jutsu did to control her also made her abilities work to their fullest extent.

"Naruto please..." She looked up at him, her altered eyes catching his own in a pleading expression as her hands began to twitch upwards; her body was already reacting to the fact it was free, preparing itself for the next attack. "...You have to fight back." Tears began to stream down her pale cheeks as she fought the control this Jutsu had over her as best as possible, her hands still itching to move into hand seals. Naruto just stood there unmoving as his body struggled to catch up to his racing thoughts, desperately trying to think of a way to capture Shizuku without harming her.

"Shizuku I... I can't." The violette's head dropped slightly, causing a few bangs of hair to fall messily across her face. It made Naruto's heart ache to see it as he remembered many occasions when they were talking when he would instinctually reach across to brush her hair back over her ear. When she finally looked back up again a faint, sad smile ran across her lips, her darkened eyes expressing her resignation.

"I know you don't want to, I don't either, but you have to..." She finally stopped struggling against the invisible puppet strings guiding her body, allowing her hands to begin racing through seals again, stopping on the tiger seal right in front of her mouth. "... so I'll have to force you; Kirigakure no Jutsu." Her voice was barely a whisper but the results were immediate; a thick rolling mist suddenly surrounded the pair. It stretched far off into the village as all the available moisture in the air and on the ground was concentrated and condensed into a thick, shroud-like fog. Naruto only faintly heard the sound of a sword being drawn from its sheath before silence swallowed him up.

"You remember this don't you?" Naruto turned to where he thought the voice came from, that same hint of sadness and regret telling him just who it was despite it being muffled; it seemed to reverberate through the mist, as if it came from every direction at once. The blonde frowned; he certainly did remember this, the day when Ao had introduced Shizuku to one of Kirigakure's most dangerous and feared techniques. That wasn't to say Shizuku had become a master of the silent killing technique by any means, she was far too kind-hearted for that, however she had an advantage where others did not.

Usually a Kiri ninja wanting to learn the technique would have to dedicate months of intense and brutal training to completely extinguish the sound they made, rendering their opponents senses useless in the scentless, sightless fog. However thanks to Shizuku's unparalleled control over the water element, even in her untrained, unrefined state, she was able to thicken the mist to the point where it did the sound-dampening for her. Of course she only ever used it for knocking opponents out or leaving them for the other ninja; however with her body being controlled as it was Naruto didn't suspect she would be holding back any more.

"You seemed so unsure on the day Ao-sensei gave me a Tanto, even then I could tell you wanted nothing more than to shelter me, protect me." Her voice still echoed, making Naruto unable to trace where it came from; he caught the occasional flicker of a shadow that might have been her but it was gone before he could turn. "But I wanted so much just to be useful to you, to do something you could be proud of me for." Even through the muffling of the mist Naruto could hear the slight catch in her voice, the faint sob that a year ago would have had him rushing to see what was wrong.

"I was always proud of you." It was out of his mouth before he could realise what he had done, a second later he just managed to catch a flash of silver out the corner of his eye before he dodged to the left. He caught the slight whine of a blade slicing through the air far too close to his ear before it was gone, back into the oppressive mist. The worst part was that he couldn't even use Yagura's technique in here; Shizuku's control over her element was even stronger than his. If he recklessly used his Deva path he could risk hurting her as he had no idea where she was.

"You have to fight back Naruto, if you don't then I won't stop, this body will not stop." Naruto grit his teeth as Shizuku's voice called out again, his grip tightening around his shakujou.

"I can't!" His eyes widened again marginally as he was once again forced to move to the side, aiding his movements with a burst of wind Chakra for speed. Once again the flash of a blade passed close to his body, however this time the terrible screech of metal-on-metal shrieked out inside the mist. Naruto looked down at his arm in surprise, not having even realised he had activated his Asura path. There was a light scratch there that was already beginning to fix itself, he grimaced at the cold feeling he always got when using this aspect of his abilities before his eyes opened wider in realisation.

"Naruto please, this is the only way!" His head whipped around; Shizuku's voice was now becoming desperate as she realised just how close she had gotten to hurting Naruto. The blonde however remained calm, rising up a little and focusing on his breathing, his Rinnegan straining to see anything but the Chakra saturating the air.

"No... it isn't." This time he made no move to react even as he felt the flash if steel draw closer, however Shizuku's blade didn't hesitate in the slightest, singing as it sliced through the air. There was a moment when her discoloured eyes opened wider in shock before Naruto moved like lightning, literally. Sparks of electricity briefly danced over his body, enhancing his muscle's reflexes and supercharging his synapses for a brief second; it was all he needed. In a flash of movement he turned, holding a palm out and Shizuku winced, expecting to feel the heavy impact of unrestrained gravitational forces.

However it never came, when she opened her eyes again they widened in abject shock; Naruto was just standing there, her blade driven up to the hilt through his hand. Strangely there was no blood, nothing to indicate he even had a wound at all; however Shizuku failed to notice this in her shock. Almost immediately her controlled body attempted to remove her Tanto from its impromptu sheath; it was fruitless though as Naruto curled his hand around the blade, grimacing from the uncomfortable feeling.

It wasn't actually too bad, the pain was more like a dull throb, more to indicate that he had actually been hurt that for the feeling itself. It was a strange, discomforting sensation that his own body wasn't quite his, as if he were merely moving unconscious strings on some unbelievably complex puppet he controlled. He hated using it, doing so felt like he had lost his arm, or whatever body part he was controlling with the Asura path at that particular moment, however right now it was necessary and that was what was important.

"Naruto..." Shizuku's faltering voice and widened eyes betrayed her shock, even as her arm continued to uselessly pull at the sword, her body not quite realising it was stuck yet. Naruto ignored the strange feelings from his arm as he looked up, meeting the not-quite-eyes of the girl he had watched bleed out in his own arms. As much as he wanted to try and stay emotionless, to keep his own thoughts and feelings out of this to do what he knew he had to do, he just couldn't; his expression softened as the smallest of smiles piqued at the edges of his mouth.

"Shizuku, I missed you so much." The girl's eyes trembled slightly as her mouth struggled to form words that wouldn't come; here she was, standing before the boy who had saved her all that time ago, finally able to say the things she couldn't, and she still couldn't. Her head drooped down, her hair falling across her face and shadowing her eyes even as she felt the first teardrops begin to percolate on the edges of her vision.

"Please Naruto... kill me." Naruto's eyes widened, but only for a moment before his expression once again settled into a soft smile, his own head lilting slightly down.

"You know I can't do that Shizuku." The girl's head shot up, tears now feely streaming down her porcelain cheeks making a few strands of her hair stick messily to her face.

"Then what? You have to do something Naruto, or I'll... be forced to kill you." Her voice became quiet as her whole body shook slightly, even as her one arm continued to fruitlessly pull at her Tanto "I don't want this, this existence is horrible. If you don't kill me, then I'm stuck like this, fighting whoever that man tells me to kill. Killing me now would be merciful compared to that." She stopped trembling though as Naruto looked up at her, his expression warm and inviting in a way she remembered so vividly. While an entire year had passed for the monk it was only yesterday Shizuku was staring up at him through increasingly blurry vision, wiping away that solitary tear.

"What if I could bring you back, for real?" The girl blinked in surprise, staring at Naruto, unable to comprehend what he was saying; however the monk's face seemed completely serious. "I did it for Haku, I can do it for you too, I'm sure of it, I... I just-" Naruto's eyes widened when he felt Shizuku's finger press up against his lip, noting that the limb was shaking, obviously taking a great deal of her will simply to do that much.

"Please Naruto, let me go." Naruto took an involuntary gulp as he stared at the girl before him, blinking away his shock.

"But-" She pressed her finger a little harder, halting what he might have said again as she looked up at him imploringly, her wide watery eyes like a deep well that Naruto couldn't tear his gaze from.

"Please Naruto, just let me go. I don't belong here anymore, my time passed." She looked down again, her hand falling away as she lost the control to hold it there. "My time to do the things I wanted was then, it's gone now. I will always regret the things I could never say..." She looked up at Naruto again, her eyes tearing up as her hand began to struggle more violently against the solid grip the blonde had on her sword "...But regrets are for the living. Please Naruto, let me go." Naruto began to feel tears form at the edges of his own eyes but he blinked them back.

"But... I couldn't save you." Shizuku gave him a watery smile as she managed to get a hand back up to his cheek, trembling from the effort it took to fight the Jutsu controlling her body. Gently she wiped at Naruto's eyes, choking out a short, hollow laugh as she caught one of his tears before it could fall.

"Maybe you weren't supposed to." Slowly, with a great deal of effort she moved her hand down to Naruto's, grasping his wrist in a loose hold and guiding it back up until it rested just above her chest. "Please, just do what you can, set me free." It was Naruto's turn to tremble as he felt the girl's slow, rhythmic heartbeat below his hand; it felt so real, so alive.

"Shizuku..." The girl's eyes widened slightly as she felt her sword begin to give, sliding noisily with a sickening shriek against the metal of Naruto's skin.

"Please Naruto; you have to do it now!" Naruto just trembled, his hand flexing indecisively against Shizuku's chest even as the sword pulled back even more. He looked up, trying desperately to smile, to project the warmth he so frantically wanted to convey but it was weak and stained with the beginnings of tears.

"I'll never be able to let you go." Shizuku froze for a second; even the arm pulling at her sword paused momentarily as she looked around, the air becoming utterly calm for that exact moment. Finally she smiled, genuinely, her lips crinkling up in a way Naruto remembered well; he used to relish that smile, work for it each day he kept Shizuku safe.

"Thank you." Then it was gone, Naruto pulled back his hand, and with it the ethereal white form of Shizuku's soul, tearing it right out of her body with the sickening noise of ripping fabric. He held it there for a few moments, frozen in place as he felt the silk-like being sway gently in his hand, the frozen form of Shizuku before him already beginning to dissipate into an ashen substance. Then, as one, both blew away in the breeze; one returning to the earth it was torn from, the other floating away back into the sky it belonged to.

The blonde stood there, unable to move even as the heavy mist around him began to disperse, the Chakra sustaining it gone now. He faintly remembered Shizuku's last dying words to him but this time he paid them no heed. Tears freely flowed down his face as he fell forward, collapsing to his knees as he released all his sorrow, all his frustration and pain out in those small droplets of liquid. It felt good, unbelievably so, to cry out all the anguish he felt, letting it all wash away in the streams travelling down his face.

Finally he stood, a little shakily but keeping his feet firm, wiping at his face to remove the last of his tears. Slowly he turned to the bright purple barrier that was just now becoming visible through the fading mist, his features setting into a cold mask. His hands tightened momentarily around his shakujou before he started to walk, his eyes burning with something indeterminable. Deep in his mind he could feel her, her memories, her feelings; when he touched her soul he took more than her life, he took her essence.

Shizuku would always be with him; everything that made her who she was would always be there in the back of his mind, driving him forward, reassuring him. Right now though he had to put that aside as he strode forward, not even slowing down as he passed straight through the burning barrier. He had only one goal in mind now and everything felt so crystal clear to him. He faced the forest of wood inside the barrier with cold, steely eyes as he raised a single hand, feeling the flood of Chakra rush through his form as it swelled into a brilliant crescendo in his palm.

"Shinra Tensei!"


	52. Inferno V

**Digi definitely does not own Naruto, no sir, he doesn't own a single thread of his ridiculous orange jumpsuit. Put him in monk robes however...**

* * *

**Sage**

_"Old age is not so bad when you consider the alternatives." – Maurice Chevalier_

* * *

Hiruzen was forced to throw his creaky, aging body to the side once again as an enormous blast of water that hadn't been there a few moments ago roared through the spot he had been standing in just a moment ago. This had been the common theme for the past few minutes, dodging one attack or the next from his former sensei and his brother. However Hiruzen, aside perhaps Homura or Koharu, knew his sensei better than anybody else and it was easy to tell that whatever it was that Orochimaru had done to remove their personalities was affecting their combat abilities as well.

It was either that, or with their personalities suppressed Orochimaru had to rely on information about their abilities. Hiruzen could be so lucky though; if the Shodaime were allowed to enter his Sage mode or the Nidaime began using his early version of the Hiraishin he knew he wouldn't have anything left to give. The Sandaime Hokage might have been called the God of Shinobi but he knew his predecessors were his superiors in most ways. The sheer raw power of the Shodaime just couldn't be surpassed and the Nidaime's skill and tactical planning were the stuff of legends.

Even in his prime, when the other four Kage had feared seeing him on the battlefield, he was sure this would have been a tough and ultimately downhill battle. Even now he feared Jiraiya would be quite easily able to defeat him, especially if the boy managed to get time to enter his own Sage mode. The man sighed wearily as he used the adamantine staff, his most prized possession and dearest companion, to skillfully vault up and away from a set of growing branches that would have otherwise ensnared him.

Sparing a quick glance across he caught a flash of gold as a devastating earth-style attack was blocked by a near-impenetrable shield of gold dust. He had to admit that the Yondaime Kazekage was a man worthy of the title, able to use his unique Jiton abilities with surprising skill and creativity to match the Sandaime Tsuchikage blow for blow. However the aging Hokage knew it was only a matter of time before the legendary fence-sitter began using some of his more feared techniques, namely the Jinton, dust release.

Hiruzen had never seen the legendary Kekkei Touta before, however he had heard stories of it from his sensei, the very same man he was attempting to fight right now. On that note he was once again forced to throw his tired bones out of the way of yet another potentially crippling deluge of water. The sheer speed and volume the man was able to draw from the atmosphere alone was just phenomenal. However this time the elderly Sarutobi was prepared, using his bo staff to catch onto a nearby branch, flicking himself up and onto the sturdy bough, already racing through well-worn hand seals.

"Doton: Doryuu Taiga!" He didn't stop on his final hand seal though, even as a molten wave of mud began flowing out from him, quickly cannibalising the surrounding tiles. Already he was layering his Chakra, layering it over and over inside of himself as he rapidly converted its nature from the slow moving, heavy earth into something lighter, more volatile and far hotter. "Katon: Karyuu Endan!" His hands finally paused on the Tiger deal, aching from the speed he had to move through the various signs. He took a deep breath, kneading and fanning his Chakra until it was a veritable inferno before releasing it all in one great breath.

It came out as a white hot, intense stream of flame, like a true dragon's breath, roaring over the mudslide he had created. The normally slow moving, sluggish mud was set aflame, broiling under the heat of the fire technique until a river or burning, molten tar was racing towards the two resurrected Kage. This was what had made him famous, made him feared for simply being; his ability to create collaboration Jutsu entirely on his own.

The Nidaime Hokage tried to react by conjuring water as a defence however the dry, arid air caused by the burning tar offered little for him to take. His defence was nothing compared to what it could have been had the Edo Tensei not held him back and his reincarnated body suffered for it, immediately catching alight as the tar finally reached him. Hiruzen barely paused to watch, still unable to see his former sensei suffer through this; unluckily for him the Shodaime had more time to prepare, quickly creating a large dome-like barrier of wood.

That same barrier had once managed to halt a Bijuudama in its tracks and, even weakened as it was by the control Orochimaru had placed over him, Hiruzen's collaboration Jutsu stood no chance. However it did buy him time, allowing him to briefly hunch over, breathing heavily as he rested his hands on his knees. His partner seemed to take notice of this as a large silver-haired monkey seemingly grew from the end of the adamantine staff.

"What are you doing Hiruzen? You know now that you are far too old to be using these Jutsu in collaboration so recklessly; your body just can't take the strain." The elderly Hokage offered up a tired smile as he pulled himself back up, straightening into the proud image of what a Hokage should look like.

"Come now Enma, I've known many a Shinobi able to fight well past my age." The King of the Monkey contract huffed irritably, arms crossing over his muscled chest as his eyes showed the lack of amusement he felt as he slowly watched his long time friend kill himself.

"Yes, and all of those were either Senju or Uzumaki, neither of which you are." Hiruzen just let out another weak laugh as he cracked his neck, really starting to feel the strain on his tired bones. He had really let himself get out of shape over the years of peace; however he would gratefully allow himself to grow complacent in peace than keep his village suffering through the horrors of war.

"Yes, that's true I suppose; but you shouldn't be worrying about me old friend, right now our best bet it to help the Kazekage. His gold dust is our only chance of subduing the two Hokage long enough for me to deal with Orochimaru and hopefully end this horrific defilement of my sensei and his brother." Hiruzen looked grim as he saw the Nidaime begin to regenerate, his ashen body reforming from seemingly nothing. "Otherwise I fear I will be forced to use _that_ Jutsu." Enma widened his eyes as he looked the old man he had fought beside so long; he was about to argue but he managed to catch a glimpse of something, a steel in the old man's eyes that hadn't been there in many years. Finally the boss summon of the monkey clan let out a gruff snort as he began to fade back into his staff form.

"In any case, it had been an honour fighting alongside you again my old friend." Hiruzen's features softened for just a moment as his hands tightened slightly about his weapon; he was far too old for this fighting business, but that didn't mean he wouldn't die a warrior's death to save his village.

"Likewise." He got no response from the staff as he settled back into his Boujutsu stance, feeling every creak in his old body. However before anybody could react, and before Hiruzen had even managed to gather his breath, the ground suddenly rumbled beneath their feet. Floor tiles were shaken loose as a few of the weakened branches from the Shodaime's expansive forest fell from their oddly-angled trees. Everybody managed to look around in the apparent direction of the force before having to shield their eyes as a good section of the Chakra-fuelled forest they had been fighting in was suddenly blasted inwards.

Bark and wood was scattered across the area as dangerous shrapnel causing all but the reanimated Hokage to shield themselves. Hiruzen managed to bat the worst of it off with the adamantine staff while the Kazekage formed a quick shield from his gold dust, unintentionally shielding Oonoki at the same time. Finally Orochimaru sank into the ground, allowing the bits of sharpened wood to pas harmlessly over the spot he had just been standing in, his eyes narrowed as he realised just what was happening.

Everybody was forced to keep a hand over their eyes for just a moment as they looked at the bright, gaping hole in the foliage after fighting in the darkened conditions for so long. However in that brief instance their eyes widened at the sight of a man's silhouette, his cloak billowing lazily behind him as he held his shakujou firmly in one hand. However that didn't capture their attention, nor did the horns seemingly rising from the man's forehead; it was his eyes. In that brief moment, when only his outline could be seen, everybody managed to catch a glimpse of those violet, ringed eyes, burning with a cold, dispassionate glare.

However the moment passed as the skilled Shinobi's eyes managed to adjust to the new light abnormally quickly, a testament to the strain they had to put on their bodies over the years. In the place of the imposing figure, shrouded by darkness and casting a dangerous glow with his legendary eyes, stood a young teenage boy with messy blonde hair. Hiruzen's eyes opened wider as he caught sight of the boy; even if his whisker marks had somehow vanished and his eyes had changed from the cerulean blue he remembered so fondly, there was no mistaking the child standing in front of him, intruding on a battle between Kage like some divine intervention.

"Naruto?!" The boy's gaze, already far too old and stern for his youthful appearance momentarily softened as he caught sight of the man that had acted like a grandfather to him in his childhood. Aside from the Ichiraku family he had been the one little ray of happiness he was allowed to experience in his otherwise isolated and bereft life.

"Hey Jiji, it's been a while."

* * *

Fuu had to breathe a fast sigh of relief as she managed just barely to flit back from where Han's meaty fist would have otherwise caved in the side of her head. With him now entering his tailed-state, even if the cloak wasn't quite as well defined as Fuu's was, the gap between their speeds and power was beginning to drop again. Even this time she only just managed to dodge thanks to the thin layer of ice coating the ground, making Han's footing less stable while doing nothing to affect the speed Fuu could fly at. She would have to thank Haku after all was said and done, although she had to reconsider that to 'if they made it out of here alive' as Han got up, his rage beginning to show on his face as another tail sprouted from his own cloak.

Fuu was already up to her three tail state and the strain was beginning to make itself apparent, even if for some reason it didn't seem as bad as it used to be. The tingle on her skin had become an irritating burn and it was becoming more and more difficult to withhold all the negative emotions that might cloud her judgement. She caught a flash of light out of the corner of her eye as a storm of ice senbon flew through the air towards Han, a panting Haku on the other end of them.

The large Jinchuuriki almost paid them no mind, only offering up a token hand to swat them away. The ice, hardened as it was by Haku's impressive Chakra control, was still no match for the virulent, burning Chakra that surrounded Han. Right now all Haku could do was act as somewhat of a distraction but already he looked to be feeling the drain on his reserves, his movements slowing and his attacks becoming less refined. However it was enough for the moment as Fuu's third tail flicked once to the side.

She used the opportunity Haku had given her to dart forward, ignoring the pain across her body from where Han had managed to catch her a few times with those pressurized punches. She poured all her speed in, knowing that her time in this form was already running out; soon she would be running on little more than vapours and Han would be easily able to finish the two weary combatants off. Haku's distraction did its job though, keeping Han's attention long enough for Fuu to get in close.

The red giant rocked back as the Bijuu-backed blow struck him clean across the face, not having been able to react in time to meet the oncoming threat. However the cloak around his body had no such restraints; as Fuu's wings angled themselves to take her away from the armoured behemoth the two bubbling red tails shot out at her, attempting to enthral her in their burning embrace. They were only partially successful; Fuu only had one tail to effectively fight with, the other two used for flight, so she managed to fend one of them off, however the other managed to wrap around her arm.

She winced slightly as she felt the malicious Chakra constrict around her limb before twitching violently, flicking out and away from Han as it sent the mint-haired Jinchuuriki flying across the street. Unable to right herself in time she crashed straight through a sturdy wall, impacting with two more before finally stopping in the crater of a third. With somewhat of a struggle she managed to pull herself out limb by limb before collapsing ungracefully to the ground. Her cloak had taken most of the impact for her but being thrown through two different buildings hurt, no matter how protected you were.

With a groan though she managed to pick herself up, still repressing the pain on her skin as it slowly blistered beneath the foul Chakra she wore. Her two tails buzzed experimentally once before picking her off the ground, just in time too as immediately after she was able to flit to the side, avoiding as Han's two tails came crashing down through the ceiling, the giant following soon after. She flew straight past him, flying up and out of the hole he had made in the roof, continually dodging as he continue to send his tails after her.

Once she was a safe distance above the raging giant she took stock of the situation, panting heavily from the exertion. It was no use right now; Fuu's superior power and speed weren't enough to bridge the gap between the two Jinchuuriki's respective experiences. Han was able to throw her around like the bug her Bijuu emulated and didn't even seem to be breaking a sweat over it. What Fuu needed was to seriously increase the gap between their powers, however she just didn't have the time; or better said, Han wouldn't give her the time.

However as if he were reading her thoughts Haku suddenly appeared on the roof of the nearly collapsed building in a rapid Shunshin. As Han picked himself up from his devastating drop Haku was already racing through hand seals; however even Fuu could see the exhaustion in the boy. It was evident in the way his hands moved more sluggishly than normal, in the way his posture wasn't quite as correct as he usually held himself. He was in a battle between Jinchuuriki, one of pure power and stamina and he just didn't have the endurance to keep up; even Fuu could see he was running on less than fumes and yet he continued to try.

Finally he reached the end of his inordinately long string of hand signs, holding the last one for a moment as he blinked away his exhaustion before slamming both of his hands down on the roof of the shattered building. Ice began to spread out from the contact, quickly coating the ground like winter sped up. When it reached the gaping hole in the roof it just kept going, spreading across the gap as a thick, translucent plate of ice.

Almost immediately one of Han's tails struck out at the new obstacle, however much to Fuu's surprise the Chakra-reinforced ice held, if only just. A long, dangerous crack spread out from the point of impact, yet it was already beginning to heal over. Han seemed to notice this as well, repeatedly bashing at the surprisingly sturdy ice; however strong as it was it couldn't stand up to a repeat beating from two Chakra tails. Fuu could already see Haku tiring under the strain of repeatedly fixing all those cracks; he wouldn't last much longer.

The mint-haired Jinchuuriki wasn't about to less his effort be in vain though. Already she was reaching inside herself, feeling that vile, bubbling well of Chakra that had been the bane of her existence for the first eleven years of her life. She pulled on it, taking as much as she dared as she cringed inwardly; outwardly though the change was more apparent. Her cloak thickened, sprouting two more wings in rapid succession; all sense of definition was lost though as the once crisp layer of red deformed into a bubbling, almost liquid mess.

She just about had sense to hold back until the very last minute, until Haku's ice couldn't hold on any longer. It burned all her around her, excruciatingly so; her skin felt like it was being repeatedly flayed, only to immediately heal to start the whole process again. Below her Han seemed to realise what was going on as his attack on the ice became more frantic, bashing away at it with his own bubbling tails. Finally... there, the ice cracked and for once it didn't repair itself, Haku was finally spent, unable to continue. Fuu's glowing orange eyes narrowed briefly as she tucked her wings in about her, already feeling the shift of the air currents as her body spun.

"**Tsubasa no Kaiten!" **Her voice came out harsh, gravelly, as if distorted through some aged speaker as she continued to spin, faster and faster until she was nothing more than a thin red blur in the sky. Then... she dropped.

Han stood no chance as the unstoppable revolving mass of Chakra barrelled towards him, easily shattering the partially destroyed ice in the way without even slowing down. Smoke and dust erupted like a geyser from the point of collision, shrouding the streets outside until the enormous shockwave that immediately followed blew it all away. Finally, when it all cleared and Haku was able to take his hand away from his eyes and mouth, he was able to look down and see the deep crater Fuu had created with her attack.

It was oddly shaped, looking more like it had been drilled from the earth as opposed to simply gouged out like most impact craters. Right at the bottom though, at the centre of all the spiralling damage, lay Han, his chest armour shattered and his breathing slow and shallow. Nearby Fuu was staggering to her feet, not looking at all stable as she wobbled about, unable to find balance in her weakened state. Her body was riddled with burns from the vile Chakra as well as the far too rapid rotations of her own attack and Haku was amazed she was still able to even stand.

However he was proven partially wrong when the girl collapsed to her knees again, using her hands to support herself as she knelt there, shuddering through the pain, unwilling to allow herself to fall to unconsciousness. Haku was by her side in an instant, supporting her shoulders despite being completely exhausted himself. Finally the two managed to get into a somewhat comfortable sitting position, just breathing slowly as they tried to regain their lost energy. Fuu wanted nothing more than to rush off and try to help Naruto but in her current condition she would be useless to him.

"So what do we do with him?" Fuu looked around, somewhat surprised as Haku's voice suddenly cut through the silence before looked across to where he was limply pointing at Han's unconscious body. She shrugged tiredly; barely able to think, never mind decide what to do with this hulking brute of a man she was fairly certain neither of them could lift. However their decision seemed to be made for them as she saw a curious tendril of sand enter the destroyed building.

It seemed to linger around them for a moment, as if looking a them, or perhaps sniffing them like a dog might, before quickly moving on. With it came more and soon a small river of sand had entered the crater, slowly wrapping the unconscious Jinchuuriki up in its grainy embrace until only Han's head remained. Fuu simply sighed in relief, glad that her job seemed to be done now; it was a like a small burden being lifted from her shoulders; and like that, she was gone.

Haku watched with a small smile as Fuu slumped over to the side, finally admitting her exhaustion and falling to it. He didn't though; he was tired but not entirely gone; he had enough in him to at least watch over Fuu and make sure nothing happened to her before Naruto was able to return to them. He was sure this would all be over soon, if it wasn't then some of the stronger Jounin would be given time to break free and things would only get worse after that.

* * *

Hiruzen found himself speechless as he stared at the young boy he hadn't seen for over six years. However he didn't get long to gawk as Naruto reset his features, pulling something off of his belt as his gaze drifted over to where the Nidaime had finished regenerating as the Shodaime was coming out of his wooden shield. He flooded Chakra through the object and once again Hiruzen was dumfounded as the innocuous little jar suddenly expanded, quickly becoming an enormous stone pot, three quarters the size of Naruto himself.

He may not ever have set eyes on the Kohaku no Jouhei but he recognised it all the same; he was the Professor after all and the artefacts of the Sage of the Six paths did not escape his notice. It wasn't every day that you saw a stone jar suddenly grow to five times its previous size, although the large kanji for Lightning that was supposed to be there was conspicuously absent. Naruto suddenly placed a hand on the artefact, filling the pot to the brim with his Chakra as he focused his cold, unwavering gaze on the two past Hokage.

"Hashirama and Tobirama Senju, Shodaime and Nidaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato, first user of Mokuton and unparalleled Suiton user." Both reanimated Hokage looked around curiously at the young boy, however as soon as their gaze met his their fates' were sealed. Slowly, as if ink travelling through water in ripples, the two names appeared on the side of the amber purifying pot, engraining themselves there as if burned onto the surface. Unfortunately the two Hokage were not themselves, they did not see the danger the ancient artefact posed to them.

However they did react when Naruto began to run through a long chain of hand seals one-handed, still firmly keeping a grip on the pot to his side. They recognised the hostile action and reacted accordingly, both Hokage running through hand signs of their own. It was for nought though as Naruto beat them to it, finishing his chain before they could theirs. Holding that one hand sign, his body practically boiling over with Chakra, Naruto quickly pushed the lid of the Kohaku no Jouhei.

Both former Hokage froze in place, mid-hand seal as a ferocious wind picked up throughout the artificial forest, pulling branches off of trees and sending loose shingles flying everywhere. Their bodies began to stretch out, distorting gruesomely as they were pulled towards the awaiting pot. Both Hokage tried to resist, the Nidaime by grabbing at the floor and the Shodaime by sending out wooden stakes from his hand, biting into the roof below them. However it was in vain, Tobirama only found the tiles being pulled up under him and Hashirama fared no better as the roof he tried to secure himself to proved equally delicate under the harsh pull of the purifying pot.

Finally it was over, the two Hokage had been fully merged with the liquid inside the pot and Naruto hurriedly slammed the lid back down, sealing them inside. The black kanji bearing their names flared white for just a moment before going dull, not fading away though. Naruto panted heavily for a moment before righting himself, taken by surprise at how stressful that whole sealing process had been. It felt like he was having a battle of wills between himself and the two reanimated Kage and he wasn't sure if it would have gone his way had they been in full control of themselves.

"...Naruto." He finally turned, offering up a small smile to his grandfather figure as the man stared at him, unsure of what to say.

"Hey Jiji, I guess-" What Naruto might have said was cut off as his senses went off, his eyes opening wider just in time to throw his hand up, palm up and facing over Hiruzen's shoulder. "Shinra Tensei." He controlled the blast, narrowing down as much as he could; even so the Sandaime staggered back a bit as the very edges of the technique clipped his shoulder. He turned, shocked to see Orochimaru's limp body flying through the air away from him, having emerged from a tree with his deadly blade, the Kusanagi, held firmly in his mouth.

The Snake Sannin managed to flip gracefully and land on a tree horizontally; sticking there with Chakra as if he weren't standing on a vertical surface and it was the most natural thing in the world. He stayed in a crouch, calmly observing his old mentor and the young blonde with his gleaming golden eyes, the lethal blade in his mouth retracting back down his throat gruesomely.

"Ahh Naruto-kun, so nice of you to join us at last. I had expected Shizuku-Chan to hold you up a little longer, at least until I killed Sensei here." He spoke with such casual nonchalance, a slight lilt in his voice that was at the same time enthralling and sickening and a slight grimace of disgust momentarily found its way onto the young monk's face.

"Orochimaru!" The Sandaime's stern voice cut through the tension, apparently having recovered from seeing Naruto. "This fight is between you and me, leave anybody else out of this." The pale man tilted his head lazily until his eyes rested on his aging sensei, staring at him uncaringly as if he were simply observing some uninteresting research specimen.

"Now now old man, I'll get to you in just a moment, why don't you rest those tired bones of yours?" The Hokage's face twisted into a scowl as Orochimaru's mocking laugh echoed through the expansive forest atop the roof, making even the other two fighting Kage pause for a moment before their fight continued in earnest. Those same yellow eyes suddenly flicked over to Naruto, a sadistic grin sliding over the pale Sannin's face.

"I must say Naruto-kun I had high hopes for you but even when my clone dispersed even I was slightly disbelieving. You really did a most wonderful job incapacitating the Shinobi out there." He sniffed in, as if relishing the brief moment like some fine wine. "I could have only done a slightly better job of it myself; after all they are all mere pawns, tools that had served their use in bringing me here to my dear Sensei." Naruto scowled at that, just the way this man talked... no, simply the way this man existed was sickening to the senses.

"You're nothing but a coward." Orochimaru's eyebrow quirked up in amusement as his studious gaze rolled over the blonde slowly. "Hiding behind men and women, giving them false promises so you can lead them to their deaths just to further your own selfish goals; hiding behind immortal soldiers and psychological tricks instead of fighting yourself. My master told me it's better to choose a fight that will end in pain than force somebody to fight it for you out of fear." For a moment Orochimaru's soft, predatory gaze hardened into cruel, vicious glare before he caught himself, another lazy smile rolling across his features.

"Ah but Naruto-kun, how can it be you're calling me a coward? Don't you see? Running away from your village in the dead of night after murdering two Shinobi? Is that not cowardice by your own definition?" Naruto's eyes widened before narrowing into a glare, his hand tightening around his staff. "Taking sanctuary with monks instead of owning up to your crimes? Facing your punishment?" His grip tightened again as he felt Chakra burn and bubble inside his body. On the outer edge of the barrier the Sound Four widened their eyes in shock.

"Orochimaru-sama?" The Snake Sannin ignored his subordinate though, too intent on seeing just how much of a reaction he could get out of the Rinnegan bearer.

"How about stealing property from Kumo? Was it not cowardly to accept their hospitality for so long only to throw it back at them?" Naruto's eyes were now glowing faintly with a dull violet light as his glare intensified, his knuckles turning white from the pressure of his balled fist. "And how about Mizu no Kuni?" Orochimaru's predatory smirk became practically vicious as he leaned forward slightly, a sadistic gleam in his eye.

"Orochimaru-sama?!" Again the subordinate went ignored, their cry falling on deaf ears as Orochimaru continued his monologue, his voice dripping with tainted honey.

"Mizu no Kuni, where you allowed your friend to be mercilessly killed, unable to save her despite the overwhelming power you possess thanks to those marvellous eyes of yours." At this point Naruto was almost trembling with rage, his Chakra excitedly churning through his body, just waiting to be released.

"Orochimaru-sama!" For a third time the desperate plea went unnoticed as Orochimaru and Naruto continued to stare at one another, their eyes locked together in an unbreakable bind.

"Except you didn't, did you Naruto-kun? You got your revenge didn't you?" A light blue haze had begun to form around the blonde from the sheer pressure of the Chakra he was holding back inside his body. "How did it feel to see the light leave his eyes? To watch as your friend's murderer died at your hands. I bet it was exquisite. How are you any different than me?" The glee in the Sannin's eyes was palpable as he watched the rage surface underneath the blonde's carefully controlled exterior.

"Orochimaru-sama!" Finally the pale man's patience snapped as he turned angrily to the subordinate that had dared to interrupt him.

"What is it you insolent whelp? Didn't I tell you..." The Sannin trailed off, finally noticing the ominous shadow that had fallen over the rooftop along with the oppressive silence. All around them, surrounding the building on all sides, were enormous, impossible walls of sand, hovering just outside of the barrier. It was a desert's worth, just hanging there in the air, not even a grain falling loose with only the flaming purple barrier between it and all that lay inside. However Orochimaru was under no illusions that the barrier would hold for very long against such a deluge of sand, reinforced even further with Chakra as it was.

"Ah..." The hiss of annoyance in the Snake Sannin's voice was somewhat satisfying to the blonde as he gazed up at the sight that would have lesser men shaking in fear. "...It seems you played your hand quite skilfully Naruto-kun." His gaze fell back on the young monk with that ever present smirk still there, even if it was wavering towards a scowl. "Make no mistake boy, we will see each other again, you too old man." Before anybody could react the slimy man managed to bit his thumb, racing through seals impossibly fast before slamming his palm down. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" There was an enormous burst of smoke that completely filled the rooftop and before it had even cleared the massive snake Orochimaru had summoned had crashed through the sand, making a large enough hole for him to escape through as the barrier fell down around him.

Naruto widened his eyes in surprise; it had all happened so fast even his sand couldn't react in time; one moment Orochimaru was there, the next he had managed to get away. Before Hiruzen could even call to him he was off, chasing after the man through the very same hole he had had made to escape. Even in his haste he had remembered to grab the Kohaku no Jouhei, letting the artefact shrink down even as he ran; however he had forgotten one thing.

As soon as he emerged out into the village he extended his senses through the water in the air, immediately finding Orochimaru, running away from the village with his four subordinates. However he also found Haku and Fuu, their Chakra dangerously low; the blonde froze there for a moment, his gaze flickering between Orochimaru's retreating form and his friends. Already he could feel some of the more powerful Jounin breaking free of his sand and he knew he didn't have much time but at the same time he might never get another chance to go after Orochimaru.

Oddly enough it was Shizuku that made his decision for him; not literally, but at the same time he just knew that was what she would have done. That was all he needed, instantly sprinting off further into the village, away from Orochimaru and towards his friends. He would never allow somebody he cared about to be hurt again, not if he could stop it.


End file.
